1
1
labcat
This review may contain spoilers
So good at being good that this may be its flaw
Bad Buddy is probably the best conventional Thai BL series to come out in 2021. At the beginning of the year, there was A Tale of Thousand Stars, which was excellent and different from many conventional BL series. Then there were plenty of average to above average BL series that did not really shine.
The thing that first made me excited about Bad Buddy was the casting of Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles. Ohm has always been great in the roles he’s given, even the less important roles while Nanon always thrives with a well written role. Seeing Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles meant for me that Bad Buddy would not be one of those series with first-time actors trying their luck in a BL production; and most likely, the production team would not be amateurish as well.
Indeed, Bad Buddy did not disappoint. It is the perfect textbook example of how to do a conventional BL very well. The premise is not exactly original, but it is one that lends itself to endless variations. We have the sons of two constantly fighting families in the fashion of a Romeo-and-Juliet tale. At first, the two sons themselves seem to be engaged in a similar sort of rivalry, but soon it becomes clear that they are different from their parents.
Everything seems to hit the right notes in this series. Tension is mixed well with light humor. The portrayal of Pran’s love is suitably moving without being sappy. The pacing is also excellent. I doubt anyone will find it draggy or too fast. Quite quickly, we get to see Pran’s love for Pat, but the “unrequited love” part of the plot is not protracted for Pat also realizes soon enough that he loves Pran. When they become a couple, they face more problems together. (Not only are their parents always fighting, but their friends and faculties are always fighting too.)
There are the sorts of problems that drag on for too long in other series, but they get resolved fairly quickly in Bad Buddy. The effect is excellent as we get an overall lighthearted mood even though the problems that the couple faces become increasingly serious, culminating in their parents finding out about their relationship. We also get to see that two men may face problems but they love each other enough to not childishly fight and prolong any conflicts.
The series manages to avoid the problems that some other BL series have. It eschews having many side couples that can make the storytelling awkward and lacking in focus. It seems as though the team behind Bad Buddy has gathered a whole lot of feedback on other BLs and resolved to make one that doesn’t get all the usual criticisms. We see this when it makes fun of how BL characters claim that they are not gay (“I’m not gay–I only love one man.”). It also consciously avoids references to the BL couple as husband and wife. The series even cleverly manages to avoid the Penultimate Episode Curse (or the Episode 11 Curse which has the worst things like a break-up occurring in the second last episode), with Episode 11 focusing on the couple’s temporary “elopement” while showing their increasing awareness that they have to return home eventually. And instead of having multiple BL couples, the series is used as a means of testing waters for featuring GL. (The GL is cleverly kept ambiguous until the episode in which the women become a couple, so even if it is not well-received, any negative impact is likely minimized.)
What could possibly go wrong with such a series? Not much, to be fair. But perhaps Bad Buddy is so good at being good that we find few risks being taken. It is a lot of conventional stuff being done very skilfully. With such good actors and such a good team making the series, perhaps there could have been a stronger risk-taking spirit. Bad Buddy is a better production in so many ways than some of my favorite Thai BL series like Sotus, 2gether, He’s Coming to Me and Until We Meet Again. Yet, each of these other favorite BL series of mine has something that makes it more distinctive despite its flaws.
Bad Buddy is like a textbook example of how to make an excellent conventional BL series. But if I may have the audacity to be greedy, can everyone trying to make a BL series please learn the lessons that Bad Buddy has learnt but come up with something more convention-defying, something not as safe?
The thing that first made me excited about Bad Buddy was the casting of Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles. Ohm has always been great in the roles he’s given, even the less important roles while Nanon always thrives with a well written role. Seeing Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles meant for me that Bad Buddy would not be one of those series with first-time actors trying their luck in a BL production; and most likely, the production team would not be amateurish as well.
Indeed, Bad Buddy did not disappoint. It is the perfect textbook example of how to do a conventional BL very well. The premise is not exactly original, but it is one that lends itself to endless variations. We have the sons of two constantly fighting families in the fashion of a Romeo-and-Juliet tale. At first, the two sons themselves seem to be engaged in a similar sort of rivalry, but soon it becomes clear that they are different from their parents.
Everything seems to hit the right notes in this series. Tension is mixed well with light humor. The portrayal of Pran’s love is suitably moving without being sappy. The pacing is also excellent. I doubt anyone will find it draggy or too fast. Quite quickly, we get to see Pran’s love for Pat, but the “unrequited love” part of the plot is not protracted for Pat also realizes soon enough that he loves Pran. When they become a couple, they face more problems together. (Not only are their parents always fighting, but their friends and faculties are always fighting too.)
There are the sorts of problems that drag on for too long in other series, but they get resolved fairly quickly in Bad Buddy. The effect is excellent as we get an overall lighthearted mood even though the problems that the couple faces become increasingly serious, culminating in their parents finding out about their relationship. We also get to see that two men may face problems but they love each other enough to not childishly fight and prolong any conflicts.
The series manages to avoid the problems that some other BL series have. It eschews having many side couples that can make the storytelling awkward and lacking in focus. It seems as though the team behind Bad Buddy has gathered a whole lot of feedback on other BLs and resolved to make one that doesn’t get all the usual criticisms. We see this when it makes fun of how BL characters claim that they are not gay (“I’m not gay–I only love one man.”). It also consciously avoids references to the BL couple as husband and wife. The series even cleverly manages to avoid the Penultimate Episode Curse (or the Episode 11 Curse which has the worst things like a break-up occurring in the second last episode), with Episode 11 focusing on the couple’s temporary “elopement” while showing their increasing awareness that they have to return home eventually. And instead of having multiple BL couples, the series is used as a means of testing waters for featuring GL. (The GL is cleverly kept ambiguous until the episode in which the women become a couple, so even if it is not well-received, any negative impact is likely minimized.)
What could possibly go wrong with such a series? Not much, to be fair. But perhaps Bad Buddy is so good at being good that we find few risks being taken. It is a lot of conventional stuff being done very skilfully. With such good actors and such a good team making the series, perhaps there could have been a stronger risk-taking spirit. Bad Buddy is a better production in so many ways than some of my favorite Thai BL series like Sotus, 2gether, He’s Coming to Me and Until We Meet Again. Yet, each of these other favorite BL series of mine has something that makes it more distinctive despite its flaws.
Bad Buddy is like a textbook example of how to make an excellent conventional BL series. But if I may have the audacity to be greedy, can everyone trying to make a BL series please learn the lessons that Bad Buddy has learnt but come up with something more convention-defying, something not as safe?
Was this review helpful to you?
