Nyx Medina
Philippines
This review may contain spoilers
Just a bit of background on how I discovered this series. :-) Last February, I started to get hooked in this drama and unexpectedly discovered Thai BL. That time I was started to get bored already with all the kdrama I've been watching and so I decided to explore what other dramas have many views on streaming videos online. And so I chanced upon this newly released series at that time. I checked its synopsis and it looked quite good so I decided to give it a chance. (Just recently I found out that it was trending on twitter. Sorry, I don't have a twitter account so its hype (million tweets?) was lost on me.
Anyhow, on to my review. Let me emphasize that these are just my personal views on the series and you may or may not agree with me once you get to watch it (which I hope you will).
STORY:
So the basic premise of this story is that Tine (played by Metawin) decided to have a fake boyfriend in the person of Sarawat (played by Bright) to ward off Green (played by Gun) who had been stalking him in the school campus . Eventually, Tine and Sarawat develop their feelings for each other during the course of the series (it was found out later in the story that Sarawat already had feelings for Tine even before the latter propositioned the fake boyfriend arrangement). There is the usual secrecy issues (hiding their relationship from friends and relatives) as well as jealousy issues including a girl from Sarawat's past thrown in for additional spice. There are also side relationship stories between Tine's brother and Sarawat's friend as well as between Sarawat's brother and another student who was interested in Tine.
The story started out strong but I feel that it somehow lost the spark between the main characters later on. What started out as a legit BL series, it kinda was losing "kilig" in the romance department in the last few episodes of the series. It really had a good potential but somehow I was a bit disappointed especially in the last episode. I have already lost hope for a "bed scene" (or even the barest hint thereof) between Tine and Sarawat by episode 12 of the series. But I was expecting a bit more than a a casual interaction between them. I mean just a"high five"? Really? In short, I was "nakulangan" ("it fell short" - in Tagalog). 2gether had a good buildup of story and characters rising to a beautiful crescendo of emotions but it's denouement fell a bit flat.
Let me emphasize that I don't consider a bed scene as essential to having a good BL story. As seen in other good shows like Theory of Love, SOTUS and Love by Chance (to name a few), a graphic sex scene or torrid kissing is not necessary all the time in BL series. What is more important is the relationship spark (and not just plain camaraderie) between the characters and how it translates in their interactions with one another in such a way that the audiences see and feel it through the sreen. In the end, I think 2gether kinda felt more like a "bromance" thing rather than a legit BL series.
CAST:
It is undeniable that the main characters of 2gether are both handsome which makes their pairing an aesthetic gift to the audiences. However, beyond the visuals their thespian talent speaks another story. Bright (Sarawat) pales in comparison to Win (Tine) in the acting department. Win shines as Tine in all his goofiness or awkwardness and the audience could really empathize in his sentimental moments. On the other hand, Bright as Sarawat has moments of "dry" acting and sometimes has this poker face and "mukhang tanga" (looks dumb) facial expressions in reaction to dialogue even between him and his supposed lover Tine. Bright even has this quirk of showing uneven eyes with a slightly open mouth (or was that a smirk?). It's difficult to specifically explain it but once you see the series, you'll get what I mean. :-) The difference between the two is quite shocking considering that Bright supposedly has appeared in other previous dramas before 2gether while Win only lists 2gether as his first drama here in MDL. If that is so, then Win is such a good find and has the look and talent to make it big in future dramas. As opposed to him, Bright needs more improvement in acting. After all, an actor cannot depend on mere handsomeness alone (although he is generously blessed with it). He has good potential but I think he needs more acting workshops perhaps?
I will not dwell too much with the other characters too much. Suffice it to say that their degree of acting skills is just at par with their supporting roles. I would just like to especially mention the characters Mil and Phukong (played by Mil and Frank who were previously the main characters in 'You're my Boy' another BL series). Both of them were good here it's just that their story felt somehow hurried and I wish they will comeback in season 2 of this series (if any) or in another BL series perhaps? Also,the characters playing Type and Man had good scenes including the sad and funny parts. ;-)
MUSIC:
Loved the songs played in the series. The opening theme is an upbeat rock anthem which I think accurately reflects the youthful energy of the characters in the series. I especially loved this instrumental piano song being played in the background in the sentimental scenes. Songs as well as actual performances of the band Scrubb are in the series. Their songs are more of the indie rock type and the lyrics and melody are quite good. My most favorite song (and performance) in 2gether was the one by Sarawat himself and he dedicated it to Tine in front of many people during the music contest scene in the last episode. How sweet right? :-) In hindsight, I guess I am a sucker for this kind of scene wherein the main character dedicates a song to his lovedone - just like what happened in 2 Moons. haha
PRODUCTION:
Basically, most of the scenes happen in a school campus. The scenes and its cast felt right at home with their environment and the costumes looked good even during the out of school scenes (I especially loved the casual clothes of Tine). Choosing good songs and musical score is much appreciated since it fit right in the scenes.
I could really see the efforts of the production team in making the scenes more authentic. I would like to cite the music club scenes and especially the concert scenes - those could not have been easy.
The script had good scenes and dialogues albeit some were delivered subpar by the cast. It had funny dialogues and the most memorable one for me was - "Keep looking at me like that and I will kiss (you) till you drop" which was spoken by Sarawat (I loved you Bright in that scene. hehe). I also laughed at the 'condom bouquet' given to SarawaTine like a housewarming gift. haha
Considering that the director Champ helmed other (and I think better) BL stories before (i.e. Senior Secret Love, Kiss me Again), I had high expectations in 2Gether. But then again, no matter how good a director is, there are just some limitations that one can do with the talents of its cast and the difficulties of the production efforts especially during these times of the pandemic. It was a good effort nonetheless. Congrats P'Champ! :-D
FINAL THOUGHTS:
However, despite its shortcomings, it's a feel-good series involving young love. I especially liked its message that one could love a person regardless of sex/gender. 2gether is a breath of fresh air. If you wanna take a rest from other serious dramas and you wanna try the cutesy type of romance, then this is for you.
Considering the difficulties brought about by recent events, I think it somehow affected the making of this series. I could just imagine the various limitations to the production team in finishing the scenes. Nevertheless, it was a good series and one could only hope for the further development of its story and characters (crossing fingers for 2nd season).
In any case, I am hoping for a sequel to show more depth in the relationship of SarawaTine as well as the development of the love stories of the TypeMan and MilPhukong pairings. Have fun watching!
P.S. If you liked this 2gether, may I suggest you also try watching "2 Moons" series. :-)
Anyhow, on to my review. Let me emphasize that these are just my personal views on the series and you may or may not agree with me once you get to watch it (which I hope you will).
STORY:
So the basic premise of this story is that Tine (played by Metawin) decided to have a fake boyfriend in the person of Sarawat (played by Bright) to ward off Green (played by Gun) who had been stalking him in the school campus . Eventually, Tine and Sarawat develop their feelings for each other during the course of the series (it was found out later in the story that Sarawat already had feelings for Tine even before the latter propositioned the fake boyfriend arrangement). There is the usual secrecy issues (hiding their relationship from friends and relatives) as well as jealousy issues including a girl from Sarawat's past thrown in for additional spice. There are also side relationship stories between Tine's brother and Sarawat's friend as well as between Sarawat's brother and another student who was interested in Tine.
The story started out strong but I feel that it somehow lost the spark between the main characters later on. What started out as a legit BL series, it kinda was losing "kilig" in the romance department in the last few episodes of the series. It really had a good potential but somehow I was a bit disappointed especially in the last episode. I have already lost hope for a "bed scene" (or even the barest hint thereof) between Tine and Sarawat by episode 12 of the series. But I was expecting a bit more than a a casual interaction between them. I mean just a"high five"? Really? In short, I was "nakulangan" ("it fell short" - in Tagalog). 2gether had a good buildup of story and characters rising to a beautiful crescendo of emotions but it's denouement fell a bit flat.
Let me emphasize that I don't consider a bed scene as essential to having a good BL story. As seen in other good shows like Theory of Love, SOTUS and Love by Chance (to name a few), a graphic sex scene or torrid kissing is not necessary all the time in BL series. What is more important is the relationship spark (and not just plain camaraderie) between the characters and how it translates in their interactions with one another in such a way that the audiences see and feel it through the sreen. In the end, I think 2gether kinda felt more like a "bromance" thing rather than a legit BL series.
CAST:
It is undeniable that the main characters of 2gether are both handsome which makes their pairing an aesthetic gift to the audiences. However, beyond the visuals their thespian talent speaks another story. Bright (Sarawat) pales in comparison to Win (Tine) in the acting department. Win shines as Tine in all his goofiness or awkwardness and the audience could really empathize in his sentimental moments. On the other hand, Bright as Sarawat has moments of "dry" acting and sometimes has this poker face and "mukhang tanga" (looks dumb) facial expressions in reaction to dialogue even between him and his supposed lover Tine. Bright even has this quirk of showing uneven eyes with a slightly open mouth (or was that a smirk?). It's difficult to specifically explain it but once you see the series, you'll get what I mean. :-) The difference between the two is quite shocking considering that Bright supposedly has appeared in other previous dramas before 2gether while Win only lists 2gether as his first drama here in MDL. If that is so, then Win is such a good find and has the look and talent to make it big in future dramas. As opposed to him, Bright needs more improvement in acting. After all, an actor cannot depend on mere handsomeness alone (although he is generously blessed with it). He has good potential but I think he needs more acting workshops perhaps?
I will not dwell too much with the other characters too much. Suffice it to say that their degree of acting skills is just at par with their supporting roles. I would just like to especially mention the characters Mil and Phukong (played by Mil and Frank who were previously the main characters in 'You're my Boy' another BL series). Both of them were good here it's just that their story felt somehow hurried and I wish they will comeback in season 2 of this series (if any) or in another BL series perhaps? Also,the characters playing Type and Man had good scenes including the sad and funny parts. ;-)
MUSIC:
Loved the songs played in the series. The opening theme is an upbeat rock anthem which I think accurately reflects the youthful energy of the characters in the series. I especially loved this instrumental piano song being played in the background in the sentimental scenes. Songs as well as actual performances of the band Scrubb are in the series. Their songs are more of the indie rock type and the lyrics and melody are quite good. My most favorite song (and performance) in 2gether was the one by Sarawat himself and he dedicated it to Tine in front of many people during the music contest scene in the last episode. How sweet right? :-) In hindsight, I guess I am a sucker for this kind of scene wherein the main character dedicates a song to his lovedone - just like what happened in 2 Moons. haha
PRODUCTION:
Basically, most of the scenes happen in a school campus. The scenes and its cast felt right at home with their environment and the costumes looked good even during the out of school scenes (I especially loved the casual clothes of Tine). Choosing good songs and musical score is much appreciated since it fit right in the scenes.
I could really see the efforts of the production team in making the scenes more authentic. I would like to cite the music club scenes and especially the concert scenes - those could not have been easy.
The script had good scenes and dialogues albeit some were delivered subpar by the cast. It had funny dialogues and the most memorable one for me was - "Keep looking at me like that and I will kiss (you) till you drop" which was spoken by Sarawat (I loved you Bright in that scene. hehe). I also laughed at the 'condom bouquet' given to SarawaTine like a housewarming gift. haha
Considering that the director Champ helmed other (and I think better) BL stories before (i.e. Senior Secret Love, Kiss me Again), I had high expectations in 2Gether. But then again, no matter how good a director is, there are just some limitations that one can do with the talents of its cast and the difficulties of the production efforts especially during these times of the pandemic. It was a good effort nonetheless. Congrats P'Champ! :-D
FINAL THOUGHTS:
However, despite its shortcomings, it's a feel-good series involving young love. I especially liked its message that one could love a person regardless of sex/gender. 2gether is a breath of fresh air. If you wanna take a rest from other serious dramas and you wanna try the cutesy type of romance, then this is for you.
Considering the difficulties brought about by recent events, I think it somehow affected the making of this series. I could just imagine the various limitations to the production team in finishing the scenes. Nevertheless, it was a good series and one could only hope for the further development of its story and characters (crossing fingers for 2nd season).
In any case, I am hoping for a sequel to show more depth in the relationship of SarawaTine as well as the development of the love stories of the TypeMan and MilPhukong pairings. Have fun watching!
P.S. If you liked this 2gether, may I suggest you also try watching "2 Moons" series. :-)
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