Only Friends (2023)

A rollercoaster in the most positive way possible!

This was the very first series that got me to ACTUALLY wait impatiently for every new episode. Usually I watch one or two episodes during their “premiere” and then wait till the whole series is out but this one? Once you get into the story you’ll keep on wanting more and more and you won’t even notice when the final episode ends. Trust me.

Since there are 4 couples I want to kind of “rate” their storylines separately and then sum up everything at the end so bare with me through this long review ><

Couple no.1 - Mew x Top
Since the series basically starts off from Mew’s pov at first I kind of automatically assumed that they’ll be the “main couple” and at the beginning it was true - most of the screen time was dedicated to Mew and his personal experiences but (thankfully) it all evens up as you go through more episodes.
As for Mew - a “good boy gone bad” trope really came through with his character throughout the whole series and I’m so happy that happened. It’s like he finally got out of the nerd cage he’s trapped himself in. A truly interesting character development, despite the toxicity he served his friends because of it but I’m glad they didn’t try to make him that one angel with no flaws (cause at first that’s the vibes you’ll get from him).
As for Top - man had a true “personality glow up” and I’m here for it because it wasn’t done in that cliché way that’s supposed to play on your emotions just to make you feel bad for the “poor lost bad boy” he’s introduced as.
Together they make a really predictable yet somehow unique couple. They turned the cliche trope into a more interesting one with the whole “revenge plan” of Mew’s which shifted their storyline onto the new track. And I really like how it wasn’t only Top chasing after Mew with a big sign “I’m sorry that I slept with your friend” but also Mew having to swallow his pride in order to save the relationship once Top was about to give up on “trying”. It made it all more unique.
Acting on point, both Book and Force have a great chemistry especially for this type of a simple sweet relationship. One thing I wish for is for the scriptwriters to plan out the last two episodes a bit better since it was just too much. So many things happening at once and even more “quick answers” for the questions that formed throughout the series.
Would love to see how their relationship develops in season 2 since there’s still so much to their characters that can be told (hopefully we’ll get it soon).

Couple no.2 - Sand x Ray
Personally my favorite ship of the series but I may be biased since I’m a big fan of First and Khaotung’s acting skills. They’re one of the most talented yet still underrated actors in the industry and I’m so happy they were offered these roles because they really delivered their characters.
As for Sand - man deserves all the love from this world and is truly a walking green flag among all the red ones in this wonderful (feel the sarcasm) friend group. His character brought so much safety and comfort to the series yet still didn’t lack strong and characteristic personality - it just amazes me how well done his whole presence along with his own personal storyline was.
As for Ray - a character with so much hidden trauma it makes your heart ache. He’s basically a self-destructive, broken to the core man standing on the edge ready to push himself down the cliff and it’s all done in this raw, unfiltered way. So good and so… human. In my opinion he’s the one who makes Only Friends the series it is. There’s not a lot of characters with this type of a story and it was a fresh breeze in the BL world (or just cinematography world overall).
Together they’re like the missing pieces of one another and the development of both characters is so damn satisfying. Sand rescuing Ray from the self-destructive wheel he’s been living in and Ray teaching Sand that you can’t fix everyone is the most intense thing you’ll see in the series since it influences all the other couples.
And as I said - SO glad they chose First and Khaotung for these roles. Not only their chemistry and acting skills are a great match for this series but also their level of awareness of the characters they’re playing… While watching “behind the scenes” and different interviews of Only Friends you’ll find out how many of their scenes were improvised (for example: the iconic “cigarette kiss/smoke kiss”? Khaotung’s idea!) and it makes everything even more impressive.
Some things I wish for to be developed deeper in season 2: Sand & his father, Ray’s trauma & how he’s copying with it, building their relationship while healing and IF the healing is successful.

Couple no.3 - Boston x Nick
The most “whatwhyhow” couple in the series. Both want something completely different and end up in this weird (but somehow so close to the real life) type of a relationship which can’t lead to anything good. The Romeo and Juliet but drunk version of the 21st century.
As for Boston - I didn’t like him from the very start and I still stand by that (which honestly only proves how GOOD was the acting and the whole “concept” for this character) Man needs to talk to a sex therapist and work through his desires and narcissistic personality and I don’t say this because I hate him, cause I don’t. I don't LIKE him but not HATE him if it makes sense.. I just think that he should in the first place focus on himself but in a different way than he’s used to - work on your problems, figure out why are you hurting the ones you love and just overall notice that sometimes it’s you who’s the problem (even if you don’t mean to be the problem). That’s why his character is so real. Cause how many Bostons do we know? I can name a couple and I’m sure you can do that too. Sad reality but I’m glad they decided not to give him the “happy ending” for this season since it only adds humanity to it. Let’s normalize characters who need a bit more time than 2-3 episodes to heal/fix their issues.
As for Nick - the hopeless romantic who fell for the wrong guy and missed on the right one (yes, I’m talking about the green-flag-Dan). But who's to blame? It’s not like we can control our heart, right? Honestly even though he’s done some messed up things for love and caused a BIT of trouble (chaos even) I still can’t hate him. He’s just the type of person who needs to be loved and cared for just as much as they need to breathe in order to survive and his character in my opinion is so underrated. He started off as that “creepy stalker” and went through the “lovelorn boy” era just to end up as “finally ready to love myself” and I couldn’t be more happy to see him choose himself over the destructive love he was stuck in for a very long time. This is one of the most unexpected yet precious character developments I’ve seen.
I wouldn’t mark their story as any “unhappy ending” but it’s not the happy one either. Would love to see more of them and I’ll look out for season 2 mostly for these two. Hopefully we’ll get to see these two happy together some day in the future!

Couple no.4 - Namchueam x April
I have so many regrets regarding this couple. I was really hoping for them to be in the same group as other “main couples” but they didn’t do these two justice. It’s like they were in the series just to keep the plot running when there was a need for some push or “gender equality” cause they only focused on the male couples completely ignoring Chueam and Pril…
As for Chueam - she took the role of the real “caretaker” of the friend group and I feel like if it wasn’t for her they would have split their ways a long long time ago. She strikes me as that one lively, out-going but a bit silly friend that we all have and love and I’m sad they didn’t give her more chances to show herself or at least have her own storyline that isn’t based on what’s going on with the main couples…
As for Pril - girl really got like 5 minutes of the screen time for 12 full episodes. HOW?
This couple had so much potential. They could show them more especially after Ray’s iconic drunk expose of his friends’ secrets at Mew’s bday party but they literally cut off their thread after Chueam admitted to “not understanding” April’s indie movies. Why not give them an actual storyline? Well, maybe in the future GMM will notice what they’re sleeping on.

One more thing I really want to mention is the OST choices and visuals Only Friends is serving left and right. I’m a sucker for any good soundtrack especially when it comes to series kept in that old-vintage-cigarette smoke-raw-unfiltered-vibe. And this definitely passed as one of the best eye and ear pleasing series (similar to Not Me so if you’ve watched this one you’ll know what I’m talking about).
Camera work is amazing, acting is so on point, script is well-written (a bit rushed since they had to fit all that in only 12 episodes but still did a good job), OST matches the scenes, every character is unique in its own way yet they make a perfect mix together… Deserves 10 stars cause I honestly cannot name any similar (storywise) series/movie to this one. And since episode 12 ends by introducing a whole new character I hope we’ll get another season soon.

So happy I was able to watch this while it was coming out :)

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A series ruined by toxic fans, nonsensical theories and the directors themselves

A SWEET BEGINNING: Everyone was looking forward to Only Friends. It was something new. GMMTV usually aren't brave in doing sex scenes, we usually don't even get those scenes, rather they left the spicy stuff to smaller studios like Be On Cloud (KinnPorsche) or DomundiTV (Cutie Pie, Bed Friend). But this time they allowed a new writer and talented directors to add something different. This „difference“ was evident in the first minute of the trailer. We were in complete shock! A sex scene in which everything was seen and heard? With actors who hadn't been shipped before? This new thing paid off; in just a few days, the trailer received a million views. We had everything we always wanted. Messy relationships, intrigue, cheating. The filmmakers told us we could theorize. So we did and it was fun.

It started in August. We were all excited. With each new episode came new theories and discussions. I was involved in them, and I loved talking to other fans on social media. The second episode came out, then the third one. The theories already seemed more insane. Every character was suddenly turning into an evil mastermind who "controlled" a group of normal college students. Probably the fans were watching too many horror and thriller movies. However, I still found it interesting.

TOXIC FANS AND CONTROVERSIES: Then came the turning point. The characters were made into manipulators. Fandoms fought each other on Twitter. "Your ship can't act!" - "No, your ship can't act!" It was a living hell. The directors watched it and cut some scenes, for example, because of the nonsensical hate on Top. I've never seen such unprofessional behavior. The show is supposed to have a SCRIPT, it‘s not suppose be guided by fans! They basically ruined the entire show because of these toxic opinions. I know Only Friends was supposed to be messy, but this much?

There were pointless arguments, the actress who portrayed Cheum had to apologize for making fun of a character, Force and Book were getting hate because of the characters they portrayed, everyone made Top out to be a manipulator and sociopath even though he had changed and really loved Mew...

It was a shitshow. It really could have been a perfect show, with great actors, but it became a toxic mix full of weird theories, arguments and hatred. And the directors didn't help either; they just added fuel to the fire.

CHARACTERS: Ahh, I loved the toxic characters that everyone hated. Boston? Love him. Boeing? Meow. Top? YES PLEASE. Every time someone was arguing about these characters, I was just sitting comfortably. Well.. Unless someone said something wrong about Top or Mew. They were my babies. Top had the best character development. And people hated him for that. They called him a manipulator. Lol. How embarrasing. In the end, he was greener than most of the characters. Sorry to break it to you. He deserved to be happy after all the episodes where he was looking like a sad puppy. I just can't argue with people who thinks he's the bad guy.. Because they are so fricking wrong about him. Every. Time. God dammit, because of this hate, they literally cut his scenes out!!!! WTF!!! Nah. I'll stop. TopMew defender till the end, my friends.

Other couples were okay. SandRay were good for each other. BostonNick were really hot together. That's all I can say to them. Toxic fans literally ruined my enjoyment for them.

OVERALL: A great series, with a lot of potential.. It's a shame what has become from this...

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GROWN, SEXY, AND MESSY!!!

From the moment that this show started, I was highly intrigued for what was to come!!!

You have Sand who is a musician and who takes a liking to the character Ray and they start to have a thing going on. Ray is what most would consider to be an alcoholic who is hung up on his feelings for Mew. Mew is a seemingly "good boy" and what you could classify as the smart type. He is dating Top. Top is a classic playboy who views Mew as a conquest but those feelings could turn into love and be a sort of redemption for his growth as a character (we will see). Top is friends with Boston but they have a history of messing around with one another. Boston is what you would call a huge red flag and his toxicity shows time and time again. He messes around regularly with Nick. Nick is a character that you would want to protect with all your heart from Boston's messy ways.

So,
Sand and Ray = bed friends
Mew and Top = boyfriends
Top and Boston = friends? with a little extra extra on the side
Boston and Nick = friends with benefits

See how all of their relationships are classified using the word "friends"

All of these characters intertwine with one another as the show progresses and the audience comes to know of a lot of shocking revelations. It's one of those shows where it's like peeling back an onion because it's so layered. Every episode you find out something new or you find out that a character actually knows this or that character or may not be as they seem and it changes the trajectory of the show immensely.

What I love the most about this show is that you can't classify any of the characters as being "good" per say. They all to me have something within them below the surface. You can kind of classify them as morally grey because they do discourage the audience from identifying them as purely evil or purely good. The characters in this show are multi-faceted and multi-layered. While they may seem inherently messy or inherently goodie two shoes, they all possess more than meets the eye and this show delves into those intricacies which is very entertaining to witness.

I'm very interested to see how the story and characters progress. I know it's going to be FILLED with drama and I am READY for it!!!

I am also highly excited to see if they will finish strong with this show that is taking the BL world by storm currently.

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It's pointless

I'm dropping this at episode 5, because I can't bring myself to watch this any further. For me it's pointless, and a waste of time.
When this aired, I had zero expectations. I thought it would lack a good story like so many other BLs out there, especially the more sexy ones, but I was pleasantly surprised, because there was some potential for an intriguing plot. The acting is incredible from First, Khaotung, Neo and Mark. Force and Book are almost unbearable to watch, because they aren't able to breathe some life into their characters. Better actors could have done a better job for sure. Well, not the whole cast can be stellar, so that's not the biggest issue here. I was hooked after episode 2, enjoyed episode 3, was bored by episode 4 and started skipping scenes, and now at episode 5 I will end my misery. This series reminds me of some German soap operas, where the couple gets together in a few episodes, they love each other, and you don't even know why, and then they get separated, and you have to watch endless episodes of family, friends, and the jealous ex-girlfriend plotting schemes to keep them separated until they get together in the 99th episode and marry in the 100th. Apparently this concept is very popular in Germany, and most likely all over the world, despite me to this day not knowing how something like this can even be considered an entertaining watch.
What is my point? I don't enjoy people plotting schemes and making their life miserable for no good reason. I don't enjoy the idea of love where you don't even understand why they are attracted to each other. They are all obsessed with someone, while having good potential partners around them. It's just shallow, damn shallow. You can't feel the character depths, which makes it hard to root for anyone here. I don't feel sorry for them, I don't want to see them happy, I'm just annoyed by their dirty little games and their stubbornness that makes them miserable human beings. It honestly feels strange to look at those characters who are played by great actors, some of them I really like, and just thinking: I don't care about your issues. I don't.
Still, I'm not surprised that this series is popular at all. Most people enjoy this kind of drama. I even think it's pretty realistic. We have more bad people than good people in this world, and when it comes to relationships, so many behave like lunatics.
But I personally feel too old to watch some guys f*cking around and being dramaqueens for no good reasons. I feel this is something for people in their mid 20s, especially for those who enjoy the NSFW content, which I normally do, but it cannot save this series.
To sum it up: I don't think it's a bad series. There sure is an audience for it. The acting (most of it), the music (!!) and how some of the dialogues are written isn't bad, some scenes are beautifully filmed too. But the characters are too shallow, their intrigues too dirty and pointless. So it's a no for me.

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A train wreck but in a good way

A hot damn messy is what this show is and I love every moment of it. These characters are very flawed and it shows how toxic friendships and relationships happen. They all need therapy. It's Like a Train Wreck, you know it's gonna crash and burn but you can't look away. The amount of
manipulation, lying, and narcissistic traits a lot of them have are mindblowing. They all put themselves makes you hang on the edge of your seat waiting for the other shoe to drop. Mew and Top whole relationship is built off a lie. Boston and Nick are messed up in the head. Sand and Ray both need to learn better ways to cope with these issues. Ray is using alcohol to mask his pain and it's destroying him. I can't help but think Mew knows his feelings but takes advantage of those feelings. He has other friends but you chose him to call. He made his voice sound a certain way when he called him, knowing Ray would melt. Sand masks how he feels and it's a reason he hates the way he does.

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This series is my guilty obsession

At this point (after 8 episodes) I want to say this: Sand got the best, but also the most heartbreaking lines.
Ep. 3 - "I'm not. I don't have the right to be upset with you. Besides, I think it's a good idea if we just stop at a one night stand like before."
Ep. 4 - "Don't ever do that to anyone. People have feelings. Stop dragging me around when you feel lonely. Or throwing me away when you don't need me. If you still want to be my friend, care about my feelings."
Ep. 5 - "It's like somebody presses pause on all my 24 hours. Next thing I know... I'm living my 25th hour. Ray's extra hour."
"I've always thought Rays is my 25th hour, my extra hour. But the truth is everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. And within Ray's 24 hours, I'm not a part of it. I'm not that special."
Ep. 8 - 1/4 "S: Good. You can finally end the secret crush. Such a waste of time, right?"
R: Can we still be friends?
S: Friends? You and I have never been friends from the get-go. We have nothing in common. Besides, I don't know why I should be friends with you.
R: But when I'm with you, I'm so damn happy." - then, why, Ray, why, didn't you choose him?
R: "Sand.
S: Let me go already." - my heart broke at this point.
3/4 "R: Stop fooling yourself, Sand. You like me. You love me. You can't walk away from me. You're mine no matter what.
S: I'm not your second option. Remember that." Finally, Sand. You finally set boundaries.
It's the first series where I can give a sincere 10 for music. It's amazing. From the opening song to the background songs (Sand-Ray).
The actors make a great job with their characters. The First-Khao chemistry is insane, like always.

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GmmTv really said, "let’s make everyone kiss everyone in this series".

This was such an amazing ride. I binged it in a day, and had such a blast, laughing and grinning ear to ear in every episode. After the last episode, I just wanted to go party like the characters did in the series a lot of times. Not gonna lie, I felt totally high after finishing it – high of laughter and fun. XD

Why is it so great though? Multiple reasons:
* Although it’s a college BL, it doesn’t focus that much on studying and some characters are also from different majors, so there’s some variety.
* The characters are toxic, yes, but it’s part of the plot, doesn’t get romanticized, and instead calls lots of toxic tropes out.
* Bi- and pansexuality are actually acknowledged, there’s no "I’m only gay for you" or "I was hetero but you turned me gay" trope.
* Instead of a love triangle, we have a heptagon.
* Two lesbian couples.
* There’s an age gap relationship.
* Everyone basically got to kiss everyone, so if you don’t happen to ship the endgame couples, chances are you’ll at least see some kinda make-out between your ships.
* Some of my favorite love tropes: "rivals to lovers" and "friends with benefits".
* Date variety: rollerblades, music shop, laser tag, bookstore, and some more. (Not the typical places.)
* There are actually switches – no extreme top/bottom stereotypes and everyone’s treated like a man.
* Wonderful chemistry between the actors, platonically, romantically and sexually. Sex scenes feel real, not acted, and the kisses are hot.
* Pretty much everyone is gay in one way or another, but there’s also a hetero couple I got butterflies for.
* No homophobia, as well as no coming-out-scenes; everyone knew already they’re gay/bi/pan/etc (well, except for one character later on) and no one minded that – every sexuality was normal and not highlighted. 
* Simply a chill series. 
* Also, finally a realistic representation of a bookworm/booknerd. 
* And the comedy isn't too forced/much, but actually funny.


~

College BL:
While the plot is based on the main friends’ graduation project, it doesn’t focus on college or studying too much, but rather shows the partying side of college life. There are also characters from different majors/classes, so you don’t have the whole cast from the same studying field. 

No homophobia or coming-outs:
A very famous trope in school BLs is the "finding oneself" by a guy flirting with them and them figuring out they’re gay/bi/etc. That's usually accompanied by homophobia, albeit most of the time it's the fear of homophobia, the fear of not being accepted or even bullied, especially by their own friends.
That's not the case here.
Not only because everyone already knows their sexuality, but even in public, no one is afraid of PDA or getting seen or whatever. Even their parents know which gender their kids mingle with and it’s never been a topic. No one hates themselves because of their sexuality either. 
Really, every sexuality is treated the same. It’s not highlighted in any way, not seen as something special, just chill. 
But at the same time, also, there’s no heteronormatism. When new characters don’t know the sexuality/interest of other characters, they ask, instead of assuming things. Or they lean in for a kiss right away, without worrying too much about it. 
So chill.

Gender equality:
Even though BL Dramas target more women than men and the audience is mostly women, the female characters in the dramas are usually treated very badly.
However, not in this series.
It might be genuinely the first Thai drama – no, the first asian drama –, where women aren’t treated like shit. They aren’t used as whiny characters, who want their exes back, or as flings one of the guys can make out with, to make their partner jealous, or just as "decoration" to fill the room, but essentially have no lines/voice and no saying in a matter. 
None of that crap here. They’re actually equal, are respected, aren’t whiny, have a voice and are likable characters. Just like with sexualities, the genders aren’t treated very different, have equal respect and it’s just chill.
Of course, since it’s a BL drama with 3 BL main couples, there aren’t that many female characters to begin with, but with what there is, it’s well done. 

Stereotypes:
Another "equality" this series does, is the way tops and bottoms in BL relationships are treated. Usually it’s unrealistic and not really the way actual gay relationships are, because, again, the target audience are women, and straight ones to that. And what is one thing straights can’t seem to accept? That every relationship is different, and when you say "love is love", it doesn’t mean queer relationships are just like hetero ones.
Heterosexual relationships are technically the only genre where top and bottom labels should be used, as you’ll rarely find a same-sex couple, where there is only one person doing everything. 
And this series finally acknowledges that.
Not entirely directly and there are still things to improve, but it is going into the right direction.
For example:
- two tops get a sex scene,
- multiple bottoms each have a make out scene,
- both the supposedly top or bottom are horny,
- and both have scenes where they lead the way.
While it’s not directly said they are switches, it’s not needed, when you can clearly see that the one who’s been more dominant, also enjoys it the other way round.
What it does, is, it’s acknowledging that they are both men.
The tops and bottoms stereotypes have gone so out of hand in the last years, that the bottoms in the relationship are completely treated like a girl. Studios make them usually shy, more feminine, more emotional, more "innocent", and all that crap. 
Again, not here. Both people in a relationship are men and are treated as such. The "tops" here are just as emotional or sometimes even more than the "bottom". A beautiful portrayal of this is SandRay. 

There's also an age-gap relationship (the actors aren’t that far apart, but the character should have at least 10-15 years), and while the older one was seen to take the lead and be more dominant, he wasn’t a top-stereotype, too had emotions, and they both felt equal, both were initiating things.

Oh, and another stereotype they dropped or went against, was the nerd character. While he does seem stereotypical at first (having that innocent vibe), it is actually – finally – a realistic representation of a bookworm. Yea, they might have no experience irl, but by reading a lot of books, you are quite experienced and knowledged in things.
That shows, for example, by him seeing through others more easily, details that are usually overlooked by everyone else, or when people are lying, and has more confidence with his boundaries. And he slays his villain era. 
As a bookworm myself, I cannot express how happy I am to finally get a goddamn realistic representation of us. No kidding. 

Toxicity:
By deciding against extreme stereotypes or stereotypes in general, it does already take a lot of toxicity away, at least for the relationships itself. 
However, this series is based on and revolves around the main characters being toxic, each in their own way. But the difference is that it’s not being romanticized, and the characters are called out for their behavior.
For example: consent. Even though with that much toxicity going on, every character does value consent when it comes to intimacy. There’s no sex where one is drugged (like in KinnPorsche) or where one is asleep (like in TharnType).
Especially Mew has quite a lot of scenes where he voices his boundaries and the other characters respect it without pushing or gaslighting him.
After-sex care is also a thing – no, none of the "I’ll carry you because your butt hurts", but asking if they’re okay with it being a one-night-stand or how it was. 
The toxicity in this series mostly is abut being toxic to oneself and how this impacts your relationships/surroundings. 

Comfortable actors:
The actors here are just as comfortable with intimate scenes as the ones in KinnPorsche. The kisses are hot – or cute, if the scene isn’t supposed to be hot. The sex scenes feel real and not acted. 
Maybe that’s also because the actors have acted before together in series – mostly as background characters, though – and therefore know each other quite well.
And some have acted as couples before – FirstKhao, who play SandRay, are also a couple in The Eclipse, and ForceBook (as TopMew) are also in A Boss and a Babe, so they have experience/chemistry already. I haven’t watched either of those two series, but you can see they’ve done this before. Particularly FirstKhao's chemistry slays. 

But not only the "hot" scenes are good. The actors also have wonderful chemistry with the platonic relationships they play. And romantic too, of course.

Additionally, the best way to describe this series is by saying, "everyone gets to kiss everyone". Therefore, actors don’t just stay in their bubble with that one other actor they’re playing a relationship with, but you actually get to see different actors acting together, who maybe never were seen in a scene together. Actors got to experiment and expand their chemistry. 
Also, not only actor-wise, but character-wise: chances are, that if you don’t ship the main couples and instead some random side character with an MC, it’s likely you will actually see a kiss or hook-up between them. Which is great. 
I also love this because I got disappointed in Big Dragon with the "rivals to lovers" trope, and this series kind of fulfilled it. Well, not all rivals became full-time lovers, but did have at least some kinda intimate scene. And I’m so here for it. 
Basically as if the writers said, "why let rivals fight verbally or with fists, when they could just make out with each other?" And I love them for it, lol.
Thus resulting in this series not having a love triangle, but an entire heptagon. XD

GL:
Since SOTUS had an open lesbian character, it’s becoming more common for other BL dramas to include GL as well. Although most of the time, if there is any of that, it usually is a mention of a couple with no visual "proof" – and if there are visual scenes, the two women usually seem like close friends, nothing romantic, let alone sexual. Kisses are usually on the cheek and even those are awkward (*cough* Big Dragon *cough*). Of course I’m happy we get at least *some* representation, but why are they still so shy about it in 2022+? 

When starting this series, I had no idea there even will be a lesbian character, but got surprised in the first episode when it’s confirmed the main girl has a girlfriend already, and then we actually got to see the girlfriend very soon! While they did seem a bit more distant than their BL colleagues, it was definitely better acted/directed/written than in other series. And they also got a kiss! On the lips! <3 

Before I even got used to the openness of the series, Gmmtv introduces another lesbian couple. Can you imagine?? One GL couple already is something for a BL drama, but TWO?? That was one amazing surprise.
Even better: they’re not teens, but old adults. Two moms of one of the main character, and one of them is confirmed bi. Old queer representation is also quite rare, so that’s another plus point. Love Gmmtv for doing this. <3

Hetero couple:
Yes, here too you have that "one hetero couple because they don’t want a queer-only cast" trope.
But it wasn’t actually too forced. The actors had genuine chemistry, it felt real (in a sweet sense) and it wasn't out of place. Their scenes were short, but still made an impact.
I’m quite surprised myself, but this might’ve been the first hetero couple in a queer show that I actually got butterflies for, when they hugged. 
Maybe also because they too dropped the gender stereotypes here, and it wasn’t about them being hetero, but rather just another two people in a relationship. 

Sexualities:
So, we have confirmed gays and lesbians (and heteros), but there’s more.
Bisexuality is actually a thing, and none of the tropes "I’m only gay for him" or "I was hetero but he turned me gay" exist.
There’s also a pansexual character – while it's not said explicitly, he pretty much confirms it by saying, "I’m open to all genders, appearances don’t matter to me". 
There was also a bit of hinted poly, though, again, not entirely confirmed. But one character often mentions he wouldn’t mind a threesome (I counted 4 times throughout the series) and that he can have feelings for multiple people at once.
Demisexuality also kind of was hinted, by one character pausing a make-out scene and saying they’re not ready for sex because they don’t know that person. Only when they got to know each other more, they slowly got more intimate. When that maybe-demisexual character was making out with someone else he didn’t know, he looked quite uncomfortable, compared to other people he does know. 
While it would’ve been nice if the labels had been used (like with gay and bisexuality), it’s still better than nothing and I am very happy for the diverse representation. 

Comedy:
As dramatic as a drama can be, every series will have some comedy. Some dramas have too much of it where it feels forced, others may have too little. 
Here, I found the comedy to be perfectly balanced. There weren’t really any characters who explicitly served as a comedic relief, instead, everyone got to have some funny scenes. And it was actually funny. 
Gotta add that point because most of the time I don’t really find all comedic scenes funny in dramas, even when they are technically good, but there’s always some scene I don’t like. Here, however, I don’t think there was ever a moment where I didn’t laugh. 

Generally it was a very fun series, not just during the explicitly comedic scenes.
Yes, there is drama, but it’s not overly dramatic in a sad sense. They focus more on everyday toxicity you’d find in every random person, and not make it about sexualities or genders. That doesn’t mean it’s kept overly lighthearted, because it does tackle deep issues like depression, and one character also goes to therapy because of an addiction. 
But for me, at least, it was a fun series that I could really enjoy in a positive sense and never be afraid of certain things.
For example, it’s also a meme/trend to make episode 11 in BL dramas to be full of sadness and heartbreak (because it's two straight lines), but that wasn’t the case here. The heartbreaks or sad scenes were scattered throughout the series and there wasn’t really anything "special" about ep11. 

What I didn’t like:
"Couples have to be endgame" trope. With particularly one couple (won't spoiler which one). Even though they would be better off separately, the producers feel like they couldn’t risk that much because fans would die if their OTP isn’t endgame. I personally didn’t ship them much from the beginning, and while I do see their well-developed growth character-wise, I think it would’ve been a much better lesson to let them go separate ways. 
I’m not too angry with this, because they did let one couple go their separate ways, albeit for a bit of a different reason. (Not gonna spoiler which couple.) And that was really great.
Still, though, I’m not too much of a fan of that other couple.

The crying scenes.
Some actors did a really good job with the crying scenes and I’m not annoyed by them in itself, but rather the amount of crying scenes two particular actors got. Khaotung (Ray) and Mark (Nick).
Khao already had lots of crying scenes in Tonhon Chonlatee, and, just like with Gun (another gmmtv actor), they’re kind of obsessed by his skill, so end up overusing it. At least it wasn’t in every episode and didn’t feel too forced (like Gun in Theory of Love), but maybe 1-2 crying sessions too much. (Although I'm not sure which ones should've been cut, because they are well done...) 

Overall:
Compared to everything I did like, the negative points are very minimal. Overall I enjoyed it, will now watch FMVs of my favorite couples/characters and definitely recommend it to anyone.

The entire series feels like Gmmtv simply wanted to try some new things out, without having any real "goals" or targeting a specific audience (in the BL fandom), and I really love that. It totally became my favorite series from them. I hope they do more like these or at least aren’t afraid to be more adventuresome, instead of chewing the same tropes over and over again. 

I really hope there will be a 2nd season, as it has been hinted in the last episode, but nothing confirmed yet.

-09.01.24

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A drama full of drama queens, passion, hate, spicyness and the thing with loyalty to those you love.

The trailer makes us believe that it is superficially all about sex. Even though there are many hot and sometimes explicit scenes, it's about much more than that. It's about friendship and what true friendship means. What highs and lows you experience, how you can solve problems. But it is also about true love and how human desire, which is inherent in each of us, can be a problem and a problem solver at the same time.
The acting is overall very good, only cheaum's performance can't quite keep up with the others, and yet her character is fun to watch. I also like the fact that the series doesn't have the heavy involvement of parents, which is something new in the bls I've seen so far. I especially like the theme music, finally a theme music that you do not want to skip. Even though I didn't quite understand the forshaddowing at the end of ep12, I'm hopeful and excited if there will be a second season. I'm sure they wouldn't have cast a well-known actor for the first guest if it didn't make sense.


If there is a second season, here are a few thoughts on my part:
- Can Boston really change? Will he continue to live his life as before? Will his dream of having his own art exhibition come true and will his ex-friends or Nick visit it? and what will become of Nick, will he maybe get together with his boss? I thought they were very cute.
- The storyline of top and mew seems to be told at first sight, but the newcomer aka first guest looks like a troublemaker. Will there be tension between mew and top? What will their life together look like? I think Tharntype has shown us that even an everyday life on the screen can be exciting.
- Sand and Ray. I would love to see the two of them travel around the world and sand play concerts. But it will probably be too expensive to produce. Will ray make it through his rehab? I really hope so and hopefully he will find something to do in life. It's a shame to see him so completely without a plan.

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The only "BL" that would have benefited from 18 episodes

I'm a lover of messy characters and messy storylines so this was truly the best series for me to watch.
What I liked
- the acting, like wow this cast gave it their all and I couldn't imagine any other actors playing these couples/characters
- the music, AMAZING ost by khaotung and jojo series always have good music
- the writing of ray's character and nick's character, I loved how much growth ray went through in these episodes and I love a desperate loser character like Nick who isn't naive but also a lil messed up

What I didn't like
- the pacing, Boeing's character came in WAYYYYY too late to have to really make a punch with the amount of damage he could have done, if this were 18 episodes, Boeing coming in at ep 10 would have made more sense
- production, this is personal preference and a little bit meta so I won't get too into it but yeah, stop cutting scenes based on fan's perception
- the flatness of Top's character, I feel like with how dynamic Mew is he deserved a partner that also had some depth to him but we know as much about Top as we do Cheum

Overall, I really loved this series and I hope we get a season 2

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Not what I expected.

I was a bit shocked at this series. I am not used to GMMTV series being so mature and with so many NC scenes.

The Story: There was a lot going on. It all tied together fairly well and was never boring… very dramatic drama.

The Acting/Cast: They all did great. Especially Neo…. Oh I hated and loved Boston. He was selfish and immoral, but he was damaged and didn’t know how to love. Neo did an amazing job bringing that character to life.

The Music: The music was good, I liked several of the songs. I wish MDL would put a soundtrack tab on the movie/series pages.

Rewatch value: it’s not high on my list of rewatches because it is a dramatic series… forget a love triangle…it’s a dang love octagon. But if I need some NC drama I might watch again.


Can I just say that I wish Papang (Dan) and Ja (from Don’t say no) could act in a series together as brothers. Some of the faces he makes reminds me of Ja. Papang reminds me even more of Ja in the Dangerous Romance series.

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no more coke no more drugs no more fortnite

I love my new headline. My toxic relationship with this show has finally ended. changing the headline This show has had me in a chokehold for so long, and I was so excited for it. It was so messy, and I stopped watching for a while but somehow finished it on the same day it came out. I have no idea how, but I did it. The rating is going to be low because of my average and me just being mad at the show, but I will definitely watch it. This was a banger with good acting, good production, and good everything. The story got a little gray at times, and the time line was confusing at some parts, but it was a banger. That's all you need to know, or you can read this long review of how I feel about the show. This review is actually going to be really long because I was eating this show alive. 8.541 stars out of 10 stars.

What is your role in a bar? (I didn't even know drama lists had the titles, i guess, of the episodes in them, so I am going to start doing that.) I could already tell it was going to mess up from the start. I was very excited for the show, and I couldn't wait for the next episode. This was one of two short reviews I worte for this show.

My favorite man I was so excited for this show, and I had fallen behind on it, so I was trying to catch up with it. The original headline was Don't Get Burned, but I like my new one now. Mew was walking top like a dog, as he should, bro. Thats what that fucking lying cheating scumbag gets. even though Mew and Top weren't even technically dating in the first place, but whatever. Neo and Force, or Boston and Top, making out in the Tralier was one of the reasons I wanted to watch the show, but we are going to ignore that. You could tell straight from the get-go that Top was struggling because he took pills and just seemed off. Boston was fucking crazy straight from the start. Nick looked so good in that picture, which is why Boston couldn't get enough. Boston's obsession with photos is lowkey, really concerning, and gross, but I am all here for it. i was saying that i didnt even know how they were going to pull their shit together in the end, they did not, so i was tehcnially right. My favorite couple is Sand and Ray. I am obsessed with them. They are kind of doing their own thing, and I am all here for it. I love them and all the messy looks and flirting they keep doing. I am a really big fan of flirting in Thai dramas, and these two are putting it to work.

What am I to you? I was hating on Boston because he's my biggest opponent in this. The car scene was hot, bro. Sand is falling flat on his face because of his reactions. One to Ray "seductive" eyes or puppy dog eyes My boy was struggling in more ways than one, is all I have to say. Then his reaction when Mew called was that they couldn't finish at his place. These two are stealing the show for me, and I love them so fucking much. I'm also obsessed with the theme song; let’s talk about it. The theme song is going to be my top song on Spotify this year, probably because it is so good. Boston is messing with him, and he is to fucking headstrong to realize it. Stop cheating on your man, who clearly actually likes you and isn’t fucking with a whole bunch of people. Tops are going to be all sad when Mew doesn’t want to fuck with his dumb ass anymore. Damn, they were getting on my nerves at the start. And I will forever be mad that we didn't get more of top and sand hating each other because of the middle finger and just hate they had. I was obsessed. Nick and Boston again. Nick putting the tape recorder in Boston's car was weird as fuck and decided the rest of the show, actually. Don’t cry over Boston, bro. Blackmail him instead. I love that. Boston deserves to be alone. I’m glad they are showcasing one everyone in this shows beauty. But especially mark, force, and khaotung. First, the way they have his character protested just really compliments his looks in this and makes him look so adorable. especially bringing this shit up again, the picture Bostons red flag ass took. Gorgeous bro. Next force. They are dressing his body type up with the outfits he has on. It compliments his frame really well, and I love that for him. And lastly, Khao, I am so glad they are bringing back those stares. I can’t get enough of those. They are so fucking hot. Ray being laid back and kind of floating on air (because he's fucking wasted) really fits, and I love it. That’s it’s. This was long. My bad future Thank you for being considerate. Yeah, I think the show has so many good things about it. I am just being really careful because of how well made it was; it also took so much out of me.

emergency contact. for the scene that dictated what happened in the whole fucking show, the Boston and Tops scene. Boston lowkey forced himself on top; top was very relaxed about the whole thing. Top's a big bitch, though, and he can fight him off. But he chooses not to in the end, so he is still responsible for his actions. Mew being so willing to tell Top everything so they can have mutual trust, and Top just straight up lying to him, broke my heart. You finally have someone who actually likes your ass for more than just your dick, and you are giving it up because you want to listen to some manipulator, bro. Just getting on everyone's nerves with his shit. For once, someone likes Boston (nick is the person), and he's too obsessed with it to fucking realize it.Nick always seems like he's begging Boston to do the bare minimum. And this stays true till the very end of this damn show. Boston is going to have an ungodly amount of blackmail by the end of this, like, goddamn And yes, he did. And Nick told Sand that he was crazy—don't ever show anyone that because that shit is actually illegal and you can go to jail for that kind of stuff. Thats not just something that can get a slap on the wrist; I would take that to the grave along with my feelings for Boston if I were him. The scene with Ray trying to kill himself because his mom didn't love him was getting way too real. Sand is flat on his face in love with Ray, and Ray is overlooking his feelings because he's too stuck on the past. Ray knows how to get what he wants with those eyes and the blinks, because sand caves every time. Their listening to music and actually enjoying each other's company and traits that aren't just sex is very refreshing, and I think that is very cute. And I made the scene in the guitar shop my computer wallpaper because it was just so cute. Like them. I love them. I love all my red-flag ass couples and all their crazy shit.

the extra hour. I am not even halfway done with this review yet, which is really sad. They were doing so well, and Boston has to ruin everything because he has no self-worth, bro. Fuck getting on my fucking nerves with his shit. I can't. I want to cry, bro. The final episode comes out on my homecoming, and if they kill Ray, I’m going to just start crying. I’m not mentally strong enough for this. Ray needs rehab and someone to love him, which is sand. Top needs rehab, therapy, and some melatonin, bro. Then he will be perfect for me. And Boston is just a whore to be a whore, bro. When Nick leaves, he will finally realize this, bro. Episode 5 messed me up so badly and made me not want to watch the show ever again.

Happy (fucking) birthday! Why would there ever be happiness at the end of an only-friends episode? and I was also back to writing an aggressively long review for the episodes. Mews world came crashing down, and I could tell he knew about the party because of the backhanded stuff he was saying to top and everyone, bro. And mews villian era, and my hatred for him had started around this episode. He got lasik and saw right through his bullshit. Top should have told him before he got so involved in their relationship. Boston has no reason to be mad at Nick Bro; you made those decisions, and now you can't handle the consequences, dumb bitch. The way his dad was treating him and talking to him, and the fact that he was smiling like it was normal, told me that happened a lot and was normal at that point. So he is messed up for a reason. Boston had a reason to be the way he is. But they didn't really go into it. Starting off with rays out burst. The drugs and alcohol made him wake up and want to be like Boston and ruin people's relationships. Ray's friends are fake as shit; they need to get this man help instead of decking him and sweeping that shit under the rug. Everyone is mad because they treat their partners like shit, and Ray exposed it. I still like Ray, no matter what he said to Sand, but I am fully blaming that on the drugs and alcohol. He was stumbling and just overall looked very out of it. His eyes were huge, and he was smiling a little too much. Get my boy some help.

after effect. Mew is using Ray. Anyone can see right through that Ray is stuck in the past with his mom, his dad, and Mew. He loves sand because he just looks into his eyes when he looks at him. He is just finally getting a shot, and he is running with it because he likes to dwell on the past. He needs rehab and someone who will actually love him, like Sand Bro. I think Ray ran into the side of the road like that for a reason. I think he felt himself falling asleep and ran into the wall on purpose. Boston doesn't love himself, so he struggles to love Nick. I think that Boston is used to having Nick by his side, and once he is not by his side, he is going to start missing him like crazy. For once, I felt bad for Boston because of my threat to tell his dad, like, what? Boston has issues because of his dad, and he is a silver spoon baby. Getting everything handed to him—I don't even know what these two are going to do.Mew is now our biggest red flag in this show. What is he even doing, bro? He is using Ray to get back at everyone; he is going down to Boston's level, which is just as bad as him; and the thing with Drake's character, oh my god, fucking annoying bro.

save me. I need to be saved from this show, bro.Boston misses Nick; he knows it; we know; Nick just does not know it. Now that he does not have him, he is all over him like a little whore. Boston and Nick weren't really the focus in this, but the few scenes they did have had a lot of meaning and really showed how Boston misses him now that he isn't wrapped around his finger. Okay. I loved the daddy's little monster, and the joker match was the cutest thing ever. I know I hate Ray and Mew together, but that was really freaking cute. fucked up, and he is now facing the consequences. He misses his man so much, and Mew still loves him because of that scene where he threw up and was spewing random ass nothing. Mew fully made the decision to do the coke, other drugs, smoke, and drink. He is a grown adult; he made those decisions by himself. Why are we blaming Ray? I am a ray apoligist, okay? The cuddling scene was really cute, and the top showing that he cared was really cute, and I love them for that. Mew is a d1 gaslighter with the shit he is doing. Getting on my fucking nerves with his dumb ass shit. Stop rebounding in rays, please. getting on my nerves. Top buying rays ass out of police custody was kind of like him buying the friend groups love back. Ray knows he wants sand; he is just to set on the past, and I am not blaming him for Mew doing drugs because Mew can make his own fucking decisions and he chose to do those. Ray actually needs rehab because that almost ruined him, bro. Sand still trying to stick up for him was very cute, because they both know where their hearts lie. They are just having issues that they need to work out. I need them to work them out sooner, and everyone needs to stop blaming Ray because he has these issues because addiction runs in his family and has been around him forever. Mew is old enough to be held accountable too.

the return. Mew finally decides to forgive Top's dumb ass, and he pulls that shit with Boeing Bro, getting on my nerves. This is such a long review, holy sh*t. Um, I am glad Mew and Ray got everything figured out, and Mew admitted that he was using Ray to get back on top, and they ended things there before anyone else got hurt. Goddamn, I am glad this episode didn't feel that long. He knows his worth, and Ray knows it too. Ray talking about death makes me scared that they are going to kill him. fuck. I am really nervous, and I don't know what I am going to do if he dies. Ray and Sand are my favorite couple, and I love them. Oston is missing Nick; know that he is gone. I love the actor, but I always forget his name. He is also playing Sailom's brother in a dangerous romance, but I am trying to call him Daddy Dan too. He is very sexy, and I love him. Boston now knows how it feels to be heartbroken and awful. Eat shit dumbass.

Redemption, like everyone in this show, They finally got Ray some rehab, and now he is in denial and just really emotional because he isn’t used to not having alcohol and drugs. It’s sad, but true. Khao played this scene really well. Especially with everything that was unfolding. I understand how he felt with his dad paying sand off, like people not seeing him for anything but money. Oliver has no friends anymore, and it’s finally set in that he’s lonely and he doesn’t know what’s wrong with him. I’m a bad person, apologist. He’s okay; he’s going through it, and he literally just needs someone to love him. And that person is Nick. Nick's backhanded comments were funny, and Boston needed this wake-up call. I guess not because Boston needs to be alone and no one wants a bad person like him in their lives. Get him some tea. Top is getting back at airplane boy because he finally got mew back after all the shit he did and he just swoops in. I’d be so fucking mad. Top is trying, but Mew is kissing Boeing; even if it was forced, he still kissed him. They aren't going to make it probably. I hope, but Boeing is going to rip them apart and move onto the next They made it to the end, so good for top and bottom.

move on, movie in. The timeline of this show is very confusing, and I don't even know what year or month it is because the timeline is very confusing. Oeing is just being a homewrecker, and his nice guy personality is fading off, and his true colors of homewrecking and jealousy are coming out. They are coming out and smashing all of our couples in the face. First top and mew, but they didn't let him in, and now hes mad and going after sand and ray. Sand and Ray need to stay strong and stop being jealous of the same guy. That's funny as fuck. Boston is moving, and Nick is putting up with his shit, but he is self-aware. so self-aware that he left his dumb ass finally. Tom was wrong for lying about rape; that was actually really bad. I understand that Boston is a bad guy, but you can't just lie about rape because you think you like men now and are in denial. That's not how the world works. Boston is finally flat on his face and in love with Nick, and Nick is too, but he is making him work for it. Finally, thank God. You need to make this man run laps for your love; who does he think he is? Thank God, put my boy to work. I dont think they are going to work long distance, and Boston is either going to come back even more in love or he is like, I won't move because I am in love with you, sugar honey. I have my babies now. Its either of those or nothing in between. op and mew. They are trying, and they are having their cute moments, but I can tell it is still hard for me because of the whole being cheated on. I feel that, but at the same time, I am a firm believer in second chances. Boeing left these two alone and is now targeting rays and sand. Everything is fine; my toxic relationship ends tomorrow. Top and mew, they just need to hold on, and if some sexy rich man asked if I wanted to live in his penthouse and be his boyfriend, I would say yes in a heartbeat; suddenly, everything he has done is okay. I do like the dynamic between the moms and the top; I think its cute

begin again. the final paragraph to the longest review you have ever seen for a Thai drama. We are getting season 2, without a doubt. Oh my god, my toxic relationship has finally come to an end. Now I am free from this show. Crazy ending, though. I’ll give it to them; it keeps us wanting more.Mew and top. The fire was very random but also symbolized how fast the life they built together can go. And they also lost it all. Shit crazy. I didn’t think they were going to make it, if I’m being honest. I really didn’t. But they did, and I am going to pretend like I never doubted them for a second. They set some ground rules, they had some sex, and they pulled through at the end.Ray and sand My favorite couple pulled through, and I have never been happier. The camera work and music in their scenes were so amazing. I’m glad Ray is working on himself. They were all drinking and having fun, and Ray was still having fun even without drinking, and I think that was really cute, and I love that. He finally got the much-needed rehab, and he even did community service. I love these two, and they were so willing to change for each other, and I love that. I never lost hope in these two, and I’m so happy.Lastly, Nick and Boston I thought Boston was going to kill himself, to be honest. These two had a lot of cold lines in this, and Nick is done with Boston's shit and so is everyone. They finally gave him what he deserved; someone like that deserves to be alone. It’s sad, but true. He needs to value himself and others first. I really thought for a second that he was going to come around. But Boeing, after he couldn’t ruin our first two couples, got to the last one and split them apart. And that's it. I would recommend it, that's all. Okay bye!

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That BL was crazy but entertaining

The acting was really good and this BL got me hooked for more each week. The eclipse was so bad to me and really boring, but I liked First and Khao pairing. This was so much better and their chemistry is so good.

All the drama in this BL, I was shocked many times and it kept me entertained. All the couples have great chemistry to me and it was spicy, which is rare for GMMTv drama.

I was rooting for Boston, but in the end he disappointed me. Happy Nick choose to love himself, I was proud of him even if I was rooting for Boston and Nick most of the drama. Happy that the other couples got their happy ending

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