Puen and Talay in their domestic bliss era

Puen and Talay are in their domestic, family bliss era. And I’m here for it. Even before the kid showed up, I was enjoying them just being all sweet and adorable together. I feel like we often see the couple get together and that’s the end. Seeing them living together, working, doing things around the house, etc. seems so mundane but also so real. And Talay making each day special was so cute! I really liked the little clips from those days.

I really like how the two recognized that they did have a problem. One that was in a way tearing them apart, even if slowly. Having them actively work on solving that was something I really appreciated.

Jigsaw is adorable! I like how they just accepted him and didn’t turn Jigsaw showing up into a reason for a fight between Puen and Talay. The two of them being ready to take the responsibility in case either Pakorn or Tess is Jigsaw’s father was really sweet. There was panic, but they were ready to take on the task. And Puen acting cute and like a child while calling Talay papa? Another absolutely adorable scene!

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face for pretty much the whole time. Honestly, I could watch a full 12 episodes of them just being a family, and I probably wouldn’t get bored of it. It offers a lot of comfort, even if it’s just fluff. Sometimes we need just the fluff.

The truth about Jigsaw was not something I expected. And I must admit I am not really happy about it. It involved a lot of lies and that is never a good thing. This is also what is brought my rating down a bit.

Jimmy and Sea have great chemistry. And seeing Jimmy put his whole arm around Sea when their characters kissed is something I have been obsessed since watching the main series. The OST is beautiful as well. The locations too. Their house seems familiar, but I can’t really figure out where I have seen it before.

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Techno being the only (kind of) sane person in this mess of a series

I don’t even know where to start. I kept seeing people talk about TharnType being one of the must-see BL series, so I decided to give it a go. It definitely had some good moments, but it also had quite a few bad ones.

But let’s start with the good. I think both Mew and Gulf are amazing actors and have done an amazing job playing their characters. I really loved the way the two of them acted out certain more emotional scenes. We can all agree that the two actors have an amazing chemistry. I do find it hard to imagine Mew as university freshman, but it wasn’t really something I was too bothered by. Also, the ice kiss. I’m just going to leave it at that. The OST was amazing as well, I really enjoyed Mew’s voice. It’s very soothing.

The friend group was… interesting. The two roommates were a lot of fun, Khlui being the noisy neighbor that we all have was an absolute joy. Even if he was a bit clueless. And pairing him with wanna-be-idol Seo was a combination I didn’t know I needed. Champ and his food obsession were a bit overdone at moments, but I think he was a nice addition to the group.

Now, let’s talk Techno. I truly believe that he was the only (kind of) sane person in this whole mess of a series. Sure, he sucks at keeping secrets and did make some questionable decisions, but most of the time, he was the one making sure things didn’t go from bad to worse. I know he was often used as this comic relief character, which is a bit disappointing, as I believe they could have done much more with him.

Thorn and Tanya (Tharn’s siblings) were absolutely amazing as well. And I feel like the relationship shown between them is very realistic. I have siblings, trust me. I just wish that Thorn would be a little less supportive of Tharn and his toxic relationship with Type. I still have a lot of questions about San. I don’t think a punch in the face would be enough for me to forgive if he did that to my brother.

Now, a warning. When I talk about characters, I am talking about characters. It has nothing to do with the actors who played them. I know they are not the ones that come up with the story, they simply act what they are told to act. So, keep that in mind. I know I will ruffle a lot of feathers with my opinions on the characters below.

Tum & Tar – just why? I get that Tum has a crush on Tar, that’s an issue I just don’t feel like getting into. Let’s just say that stepsibling relationships are not something I usually enjoy when the two characters pretty much grew up together. But with the number of problems and symptoms Tar was showing, I can’t believe that Tum didn’t try to find out more earlier. I think we can all agree that Tar’s story is heartbreaking, and I am not trying to put any blame on him. Could he do things differently later in the series? Yes. Do I understand why he didn’t? Yes. He is a victim of an incredibly violent crime, and fear of something like that either happening again or becoming a public knowledge has a lot of power.

Llhong – why is he not in jail? I think that after he dropped the glass, we all knew he was madly in love with Tharn. I was surprised just how awful he actually is, but his feelings were not a surprise. And while on the topic of Llhong, let me just add that giving him a special episode to make us feel bad for him was the worst possible decision they could have made. He does not deserve a redemption arc. The end! Kudos to the actor though, he did an amazing job when it came to switching the emotions shown.

Tharn & Type: say what you want, but they deserve each other. And I don’t mean that in a good way. Type has his own problems from before, which does to some extent explain his homophobic behavior and thinking. He did cross certain limits though. But what I found to be maybe even worse was his abusive and manipulative behavior towards Tharn once they got together. The jealousy was overdone, and the fact that he punched Tharn, multiple times? Red flag after a red flag. To be honest, Tharn is full of red flags as well. He was too pushy, especially knowing that Type is not okay with gay men. Adding to that, he sexually assaulted Type, multiple times. And yes, him kissing him without his consent, trying to get him off when he caught him, and going down on him in the bathroom were all non-consensual. Also, their first time – I don’t get the thought process behind it, I really don’t.

I think the timeline of the story is all over the place as well. The way the characters deal with problems is a mess on a whole other level. There is very little to no actual character development. The writers included a ton of serious issues – from sexual assaults and trauma related to it, mental illnesses, homophobia… yet none of them were handled in an appropriate manner. They were done in a very ignorant and offensive way.

I’d probably give it an even lower rating, but the acting and the OST are saving it.
 

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Short, cute and sweet

Tutor and Yim are absolutely adorable! I do really like Tutor and Yim together, I think they have amazing chemistry. I feel like these one-minute videos are way too short though! I want more. I need more. It’s ridiculous how excited I am when we get a new little episode. The story is cute, but I do feel a bit lost from time to time as it is a bit choppy at times due to the shortness of each episode.

I am a bit unsure on how to rate it though. I never watched a TikTok series before and is hard to compare it to regular series. The story is sweet, but I feel like there is so much we are missing. The dialog was kept to a minimum. Yet it makes sense as this is a shorts series. I have no complaints about the actors, the music fits nicely. It’s super cute and because it’s so short it’s easy to rewatch – either the whole series or just certain parts (e.g. episode 9).

My story rating is not very high, but considering the nature of the series, I think it’s fair. I am definitely not a fan of this kind of series format, I feel a ton of stuff gets left out and we just get an occasional glimpse into what is happening, but we are not really getting the full story. It was cute and sweet, but that’s pretty much all I can say about it.

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Win makes Team feel safe

The storyline is… I don’t really know how to describe it without giving away too much, but I really enjoyed it. It’s a slow burn romance that starts as a one-night stand. I had an approximate idea of how the story will progress as I have watched Until We Meet Again before, but I didn’t really know or expected anything relating to Team’s and Win’s stories. We were not given any clues to it in UWMA, so it was really kind of heartbreaking to see, especially Team’s story.

I think the best place to start is the “ABC gang” as Win calls them. I think the three of them are so funny and a complete chaotic mess when put together. They had me laughing pretty much every time all of them were put together.

We do get to see quite a few side couples, and I felt like they were kind of taking up too much screentime away from WinTeam. But at the same time, I absolutely loved WanTul and BeePrince. I am kind of meh on DeanPharm, but seeing I didn’t really like them in their own series… PrukManaow were a bit too much for me too.

Wan & Tul: They are probably my favorite side couple. I love a good age gap romance (even though they are only a few years apart), as well as hidden identity story. I could really feel Tul’s pain when he realized he is in love with Wan, yet he cannot reveal himself without losing Wan. I think that the two had great chemistry. As for Wan, all I can say is that it’s always the quiet ones that surprise us the most.

Bee & Prince: I think they were cute. They were both unsure and they took their time exploring the possibilities. I really liked how they portrayed the struggles of being gay in the world of acting – we don’t often hear about the struggles and everything a person needs to sacrifice or hide to stay in the spotlight. Fans do tend to ship actors together, but reality is often not nearly as idealistic.

Dean & Pharm: I find Pharm annoying. I don’t even know how else to put it or why I feel that way. Dean is a bit more tolerable, but having seen him in UWMA, I am not his biggest fan. This does not mean that the actors didn’t do a great playing out the characters.

Pruk & Manaow: I get it, she is into the theater and all that. But the over reacting made it kind of hard to really enjoy her character. Pruk seems to be very down to earth and a calm person. I do think the two of them match really well, even if they can be a bit too much at times.

Win & Team: finally the main couple. I think the chemistry that the two actors have is amazing, that’s not something that can be denied. I really loved them in UMWA, so seeing them have their own series was really exciting. Their relationship takes time to develop. Win is a middle child and I really like how that is played into the series. The order siblings are born in can really impact their personalities. And while Win has the oldest sibling energy, his fears mostly go back to him being the middle child. It seems that his way of showing his love for someone is through taking care of them. Team is someone who needs a lot of support. I did find him a bit too silly at times though (e.g. the coffee ordering). He is battling his inner demons and he finds it hard to open to others. I am not sure that Pharm and Manaow even know his story. A lot of Team’s emotions and actions are due to his guilt that dates back to his childhood. Forgiving yourself is often the hardest thing to do.

I like how the main conflict between Win and Team was not jealousy or a third person. I think they could have communicated things in a better way and earlier, but with both of them being the way they are, it also made a lot of sense due to their personalities. They were showing they care about the other through their acts, but failed to say so out loud.

I think that both Boun and Prem did an amazing job when it came to portraying emotions. They really know how to make you feel what their characters are feeling. The series explores some very difficult topics and the two of them were on point every time it came to playing those scenes out.

And I cannot skip the topic of consent. It is something that I often comment on when it comes to different series. I think it’s important for the BL industry to move from romanticizing non consent. And Between Us really put consent into the center of the show. Win is in a position of authority, and he recognizes that. I believe that is why he wanted Team to show full understanding of what is about to happen and to fully consent to it. Team had the chance to refuse him, multiple times, with no consequences to his spot in the club. Win never intended to use his power to force Team into anything. And I really liked that. From first episode to the last, if there was any intimacy, consent was always clearly given.

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Pure perfection

I don’t think this series can be described in any other way than perfection. It has all my favorite tropes included or hinted at – enemies to lovers or maybe friends to lovers, second chance love, childhood love, forbidden love, the bet, hidden relationship, opposites attract, jealousy… and probably a few more. But the best part? The relationship is healthy. Even when the two dislike each other, they can still keep it civil when it’s the two of them. After seeing so many series where abuse is seen as normal and romantic, I was really happy with how the relationship between Pat and Pran was done.

Pat & Pran: the thing I loved the most about the two of them is how they both know each other so well, but don’t try to change the one once they become a couple. They stay true to themselves, including the way they compete. We get to see how different they are in the scene when they are both getting ready for class, and I think it was a brilliantly done scene. And those differences are not lost through the rest of the series. They also communicate with each other (even before getting together) which is another great example of what a healthy relationship includes. During one of their arguments, they are both aware how ridiculous they are being to the point of saying that they are arguing just for the sake of arguing.

The chemistry between Ohm and Nanon was amazing. I think it truly showed that two of them have been friends for a long time before the series. They really nailed all of the scenes, I especially love the ones in which they are playing with one another (more like annoying each other). It felt so real.

I think the chemistry between all actors was amazing. I love Drake (Korn) in pretty much every role that he plays. I feel like this bad boy jokester vibes fit him incredibly well. As for the character, I loved Korn and his naughty gestures were amazing. He became a Pat and Pran number one fan quickly. Jimmy (Wai) did great too. I did want to hate Wai at some point, I am still annoyed we didn’t get a real apology for what he did – that was not cool at all.

Ink & Pa: they are adorable! How did Pat ever think that Ink might like him? She had her eyes on Pa from the start. I absolutely love their relationship and I think the two actresses did an amazing job with the characters. The dirty look that Ink gave to Wai when he was admiring Pa? Absolutely iconic!

Also, can we talk about how real the sibling relationship between Pat and Pa is? Coming from someone with siblings, I can tell you that I haven't felt more seen in a while. We nag and threaten each other, but we also take care of each other and keep each other's secrets. Let's not forget about telling the truth as it is - if you are an idiot, I am telling you that. I am also very happy with how they didn't turn Pa into a shipper once Pat and Pran got together. And just how realistic her outfit choices were, she was not dolled up for staying home or when she went to spend time with her brother.

I am also very happy with the fact that they avoided most of the cliché lines we get in other series. There was no “I’m not gay, but I like you” lines, or any weird obsessions with boobs (I’m looking at you Sarawat), or the whole who is the husband and who is the wife thing. I am not saying that having an obvious top and bottom partners is a bad thing, but I absolutely love the fact that Pat and Pran switch, which makes so much sense for how their personalities are.

The OST is brilliant. Like there is not a single song that I do not like, and I have added some to my playlist (not that I can actually pronounce anything), that’s how much I love them. Music is a major part of the relationship between Pat and Pran, so I didn’t expect anything less than perfection when it came to the OST. One of my favorite scenes is the scene where Pat sings Love Score to Pran in the car. Nanon, who plays Pran, sings that song. That felt more like Ohm and Nanon moment, it’s how friends tease each other, and I found it super cute.

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“Unfuck it!” – that’s what I call good advice

I really like the premise of the series. I’m usually a bit meh on soulmate plots as they tend to be very cliché, I admit that, but I found this one really interesting. Probably because it’s something I haven’t heard of before. Also, the idea that both decided to not act upon the whole soulmate bond intrigued me.

Patt & Tai: Their first meeting was adorable. I did find Tai’s sudden interest in his soulmate a bit weird. Why did he suddenly decide to give him a chance when he ignored the man for over two years? I can understand his wariness on the subject, but the sudden change was a bit unexpected. Is it only because Patt is hot? I can understand Patt’s decision to defy his destiny. He seems like a dream man. He has his life together, is loving, honest. I found the two adorable. There are a lot of things that I don’t really like about the two either. Tai is too forgiving and too understanding at times, he doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings and his needs. Patt tends to keep secrets, he doesn’t always see his faults and tends to react quite aggressively and impulsively. Pee and Title have great on screen chemistry, I can’t deny that. I really enjoy seeing the two together. Their kiss scenes were amazing! Title has also done incredibly in the silent crying scene. My heart broke for him, I think we all felt it.

Lomfon & Tien: I find Tien a bit childish at times. He’s a brat, that’s what he is. But he also seems to be quite mature when it comes to giving advice to Tai. And I really like that, because it shows that just because he is quick to anger, he can show maturity when needed. Or when he feels like doing so. He and Lomfon have everything set for a good enemies to lovers kind of story. With some love triangle thrown into the mix. And I am here for it. Tien’s confusion is something I am really enjoying. He’s so cute, especially when drunk. Lomfon appears to be much more responsible and often ends up being as a not so happy babysitter. He is also someone who tends to think about everything which sometimes ends up backfiring on him. He doesn’t always act rationally, even if that is something he tries to do.

The whole situation between Phat, Tai and Lomfon is interesting. I like in how many different ways the situation can be interpreted. I wanted them all to find some sort of clarity while solving the mess. It might not be a perfect situation, but it is what it is. I just wish this would play a bigger role in the series. The climax to the situation happened fairly late into the series, I expected it to happen sooner and be more important part of the story, especially as it was shown in the trailer for the series.

There are some plot holes or things that make absolutely no sense. From how the boys (don’t) know each other, to why they are keeping secrets from one another, to the café scene, the whole hearing loss soulmates thing … And even why Tai’s parents felt the need to keep their mouths shut about how they are handling the divorce. The boys were all in their teens and older when the two separated, meaning they were all old enough to understand it.

And while on the topic of divorce, I really like the message they showed through the relationship of Tai’s parents. Being soulmates doesn’t necessarily guarantee a romantic compatibility. It might set things up for it, but it does not mean it will work. Love is not enough, there are many other factors that play a big role in maintaining a relationship. And seeing the two parents still be friends is another great message – they might not be right for one another, but they can still be friends and raise their children in a loving environment. Coming from someone with divorced parents who have great relationship even after everything, I can’t stress enough how important is for parents to be able to act like adults and not try to make their children hate the other parent.

One of my favorite advice in all of BLs I have seen, is definitely Tien’s love advice to Tai. When you fuck something up, you need to find a way to unfuck it. Simple and straight to the point. All in all, I really liked the relationship between all four brothers, but especially Tai’s and Tien’s. It’s very realistic love-hate relationship. Like we can annoy each other, but when you need me, you know I am always there for you.

I really liked the scenery and cinematography of it. The locations were beautiful, and the rain often made everything look even prettier. The OST is nice, the sound effects weren’t distracting and it all went nice with what was going on in the story.

The ending though… is that a set up for second season? I am honestly not sure how I feel about that. With this series starting great and ending meh, I don’t know how they could turn S2 better. Plus, I don’t think I like the love triangle they have in mind for possible season 2.

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Was very confusing most of the time

It got confusing quickly. We are thrown into the middle of this whole thing with a bunch of characters who we don’t know who they are, adding some flashbacks on top of it made it very hard to follow. There are obviously a lot of different connections between all characters, but the lack of explanations means we don’t really get familiar with those connections.

The premise is quite interesting, I’ll admit that, but things are rushed. And that makes it choppy and hard to follow. Pluem / Kim is an interesting character, but he’s not the smartest. Also, slightly creepy at times. Khunkhao is not my favorite, and while we know Pluem is the one in Kim’s body, he doesn’t know that. Yet he’s flirting with a man who broke her sister’s heart. I’m sure that would make family reunions interesting.

The ending though… I should have expected something like that. Am I happy with it? Not really. Could it have been worse? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes.

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Just thinking about getting jealous already means I'm not trusting you, right?

This really feels like two episodes of fluff. And I am not complaining. Even their special episode was pretty much all fluff. But it suits Kluen and Dao, the two are permanently stuck in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. At least it seems so.

I do admit that I got a lot of Sarawat and Tine vibes from Kluen and Dao. Especially when Kluen introduces himself as Dao’s boyfriend, making the other boy flustered. Or when they are washing their faces in the bathroom and end up pressing their cheeks together. Some might find that annoying, but I found it cute. We all know that GMMTV often squeezes in little references and nods to their other series like that.

Another thing that I absolutely love about their relationship is how they handle jealousy. When you trust someone completely and you know they only have eyes for you, there is absolutely no reason to feel jealous when they are talking with someone else. We are not talking about flirting here, just having a simple conversation with someone.

I feel like we are getting spoiled by new side couples in Our Skyy 2. To be honest, I am really happy that Typhoon is one of the characters that gets someone. He is a very lovely person who cares a lot about those around him, so it’s only fair that he gets his own special person. I am not sure how I feel about the other new pairing. I love the two actors together (who doesn’t?) but I really imagined a different pairing. I also think that not pairing them together would make more sense story-wise.

I like that the overall vibe of the series, the colors, the setting, etc. were kept the same. It really makes it feel like a continuation of the main series. I feel like this is even more obvious if we compare the Star in My Heart episodes to the Never Let Me Go episodes. They are very different from one another, yet so true to the original series.

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A little confusing but still sweet

It’s a story about two boys who knew each other in high school and ended up parting ways, but they meet each other again at university. It’s a meet again, second chance and enemies to lovers story. The plot is nothing very special, but it’s a cliché I always love to see. It was also nice that the main couple were in focus and the support characters were there to help their story progress. There was no other extra plot lines besides the main couple’s, which means the two got enough screen time for us to really see their story develop.

However, the plot ended up being a bit messy and confusing, so I had a hard time following what happened at times. I especially struggled with the flashbacks as they don’t really seem to be following each other in a chronological order. And I ended up unsure as to what exactly happened between the two in the past. Certain episodes did appear quite choppy too. But I did like the fact that there was a clear difference between the flashbacks and present; the school uniforms made it easy to differentiate, and the screen size changed too.

Lee Do Hyun & Ban Dong Wook: I found the two adorable, it was very easy to see that the two like each other. Dong Wook appeared to be quite cold at times which was explained by his lack of sleep; something I found a bit of a lazy way out for his change later. Do Hyun is a basketball player and that was pretty much all that his personality was reduced to. I might be overexaggerating a bit, but it really felt like that at times. I do wish that we had a clearer look into what exactly happened between the two in the past as that would have made it easier to understand their present. Neither of the two is good at communication, obviously, but I expected that. The chemistry between the two actors was nice, I loved how the two characters looked at each other. The kisses were not the best we have seen, but they also weren’t the worst.

I liked their friends. Kim Hye In was sweet, I liked how she wasn’t an ex or a jealous wanna-be girlfriend, but their actual friend. She was supportive of all of her friends, keeping their secrets and not judging them. Yang Seung Joo kept looking at Do Hyun with hearts in his eyes, his feelings were obvious from the start. I do like how that part of the storyline was carried out. He made the right choice.

There was a hint at a possible new couple at the end, so I am curious if they are planning some sort of a spin off.

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It was great until the end

The setting of the story and first plot twist were not really surprising, I think they were what we all expected them to be. That doesn’t mean they are bad. I always like rivals to kind of friends to lovers stories. I do like how they actually talk through the important things that have happened between them in the past instead of just ignoring those. I am a bit bothered how it is implied that one of them now likes guys because he was not successful with a girl he used to have a crush on. It doesn’t really work this way and it’s a very problematic depiction. I am not sure if that is just a dialogue translation problem or if the actual conversation is also like that.

I think that having the two episodes air before and after Halloween was immaculate timing! There is a hint of supernatural and maybe even a bit of horror. The ghost was an interesting addition to the story. I liked that there was a story to why the ghost is there and why it set its eye on Camp.

I think Kaownah and Turbo have great chemistry together. They did great with the characters and made this an enjoyable watch. Even if some of the humor was not my favorite kind, it fit the characters and setting. I think Turbo wasn’t as good at portraying emotions as Kaownah was though. Kaownah has very expressive eyes.

And then the ending happened. It was extremely anticlimactic and all it did was leave me confused about what was and what wasn’t true. Sure, it was unexpected, and that possibility never crossed my mind. But that doesn’t make it good. To be honest, the ending ruined these two parts for me.

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Marriage is not just about two people

I have a love hate relationship with MAME and her works. Don’t get me wrong, the production value is amazing. The OSTs are catchy. The cast is perfect. But then we get into the characters and the script, and I start to find more and more flaws. Good looking cast is not enough to make me love a series.

Sailom & Namnuea: Sailom is an idiot. I don’t see how else to put it. He is caring and sweet, but his friendship with Prapai definitely shows. And not in a good way. A lot of his actions are not okay. From non-consent, to manipulating Nuea, to lying and deceiving him, pretty much stalking him at one point… To be honest, Namnuea is not innocent in all of this. Especially when he responds to Lom while knowing full well that the man is engaged to get married. Lom knows the wedding is arranged, but Nuea doesn’t know this. He is going after a taken man. One whose wedding he is planning. Which does give me an ick. I think their relationship development would have been much better if Lom was honest with Nuea and would have told him the truth sooner. But by not doing that, it shows Nuea in a very bad light. The two actors are great together and have great chemistry, that is not something I can deny.

Yiwa & Marine: I do find the two adorable, but also quite awkward with each other at times. I still really enjoyed seeing them together. Marine is such a sweet character; she cares way too much about others and often ends up getting hurt because of it. Yiwa does care about Marine, a lot, but she also feels some sense of duty towards her parents, her mother in particular, and wants to follow their wishes. Her reasons are also selfish – she wants to be free to do as she wants and stay on her family’s good side, and that is something she can achieve through marrying Lom.

I hate to admit it, but Lom’s and Yiwa’s marriage makes more sense than it should. I can see why they are going through it. As it is said in the last episode, marriage is not just about two people while love is just between two hearts. It means they will make their parents happy and keep the peace in the families, but it also gives them the freedom to be with who they love. However, how the two planned to stay married is something I don’t think was thought through. What happens when the parents visit unannounced? When they want grandkids? When they want the two home and together for every important event? Both Marine and Namnuea would soon start to feel like side pieces, which is something none of them wants.

The ending was expected but also exactly what I wanted. I am not exactly happy how Lom ended up using Yiwa for his benefit, but at the same time, I can understand why he did. It’s also what she wanted him to do. He didn’t have to go to the extent he went, but he can be dramatic, so it was very in line with how I saw him.

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A lot of things don't make sense

It had a lot of potential that ended being wasteful. Going into this, I knew that the main actors are both members of a k-pop group, so I didn’t expect any intimate scenes and that is something that I am perfectly fine with.

Jo Tae Hyun & Lee Da Yeol: Jo Tae Hyun is an archer; he always had his focus on training and that was it. He was not interested in making new friends or getting involved with any drama. Jo Tae Hyun is a troublemaker, he’s popular and gets along with people, but he also has a different side. He is not really close to his “friends” and has past trauma that still haunts him. The two are similar in some sense but also incredibly different. I really liked their initial dynamics, they were fun, but I felt like them being enemies was not taken too far. Both actors did great in their roles. It showed that the two are close in real life as they appeared to be very comfortable with each other on screen. The chemistry was there, it wasn’t the best I have seen, but I am guessing this has more to do with the actors’ k-pop idol statuses than anything else.

I feel like there were so many plot holes though or things just being left unfinished, unsolved. First, Jang Won Kyung. He friends with Jo Tae Hyun, but it also appeared at times like he has a crush on him. His actions and dislike towards Lee Da Yeol make much more sense if he has an unrequited crush on his friend. Next is the whole family situation with Jo Tae Hyun – was it solved? Did things improve? What happened after the confortation (if it can be called that)? I wish Jo Tae Hyun’s trauma and actions would have been addressed more or at least in a better manner.

The time jumps in the last episode were just absurd. The pacing of the story was good until then, it made sense, there was progress. But then the last episode completely threw the pacing off with the time skips. The biggest problem is that we don’t really get to know anything that happened during the time that passed in those time skips. Some things are slightly hinted at, but we never really find out if that is something that actually happened or not. It would be better if the time skips would either be shorter or even avoided completely. Or if time skip is something that was a must, maybe a second season would be a better choice. Either that or a different pacing of the storyline in earlier episodes.

The OST is beautiful, not that I expected anything else. Their visuals are absolutely stunning, I really liked the styling as well. The locations and cinematography were beautiful too.

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What happened to all the emotions from the prequel?

There are some differences between the series and mini-series, but the only major one is the change from Nan sending video messages to Phu to Nan now just sending emails. The rest of the story is pretty much the same, something that I was hoping for. There was some footage from the mini-series included, but most of the first episode was new footage, which is great as it shows that they weren’t being lazy about it. But at the same time, the whole meeting again scene was a bit of a letdown. I expected more from it in terms of emotions and reactions, it seemed very passive.

I do have one complaint about the direction of the story. I was expecting something filled with emotions (I still got that), but there are quite a few comic situations that I am not really sure what to think about. I feel like they don’t necessarily fit in with the seriousness of everything. Many scenes seem so unrealistic, and I am not sure how to feel about it all – did it really happen like this? Seeing as this is based on a true story, I find it hard to judge the story as I might not like something or think it’s very unlikely to have happened, but at the same time, maybe it did, and I am just being too picky about it. Still, I don’t really think the whole comedy direction that the story is taking is the right one.

Things do take a bit more serious turn from the end of episode 5. I feel like we get to see both starting to struggle with Phu leaving and the possibility of him disappearing again. Especially Nan. I like how we get to see more of an emotional side of them in the second half of the series. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed with Phu’s confession scene, it felt incredibly out of character for him. And everything that followed felt extremely rushed. There was just too much that happened in a very short time. I feel like there is a lot of potential to expand the series to more parts, as all the complications that occurred so suddenly could definitely take more time develop and to solve.

I think Kun and Kiak who play Phupa and Fah Nan have great chemistry together. They both did an amazing job with their characters. They show a lot through their eyes, you could really tell a lot from the way they looked at one another.

I think Phu’s grandma rocks! She’s awesome and I am having a lot of fun watching her and her friends and their shenanigans. We all know how Tuk Tik got into that bathroom. There is no way of convincing me otherwise.

Nan’s co-workers are… all over the place, I guess. I do like GieGie, she is a bit eccentric, but it’s not overdone. I like how she handles Nan. And I absolutely love her dressing Nan to color match with her. Party is also very good at dealing with Nan, but he makes his feelings way too obvious. Sadly (or luckily), Nan is an idiot and can’t read between the lines. Or at least I thought so.

The location of the coffee plantation is absolutely stunning. I also really like the coffee shop and how Phu decorated it. All of the locations are really beautiful, to be honest. I like the differences between Phu’s and Nan’s apartments, I think they really show how the two are different from one another. Phu’s has many plants and a more cozy vibe, while Nan’s looks very professional and a bit cold.

The wait times for the episodes were a bit annoying. I don’t see why they took a month between airing the 5th and then the 6th episode. It makes even less sense why they took two weeks between airing the 9th and the final episode.

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Without wind, how can a windmill spin?

The trailer got me very excited, it seemed angsty and gloomy with a dash of action. And interesting combination that the series sadly didn’t deliver. The first two, three episodes were much more in line with the trailer, but it went downhill after that.

I feel like the first thing that needs to be addressed is a title. There was a lot of complaints on how the title makes no sense, and when it comes to the English title, I must agree. The direct translation of the Thai title would be “Heart in the Wind” and it’s a play on the fact that Sailom means wind. But they tried to make the title more interesting in English which sadly ended up doing them more harm than good. This is not just Dangerous Romance problem, but it’s something we see with a lot of series and movies. It’s not even limited only to Thai productions, even Hollywood titles translations are often very questionable.

I will be honest; I am usually not a fan of bully x victim romances. I don’t think that type of relationship is the kind that we should romanticize. The same goes for the idea that a little boy will pull a little girl’s hair because he likes her. It doesn’t work that way. However, I really liked how Sailom didn’t bow down to Kang from the start. He was well aware of the fact that he was in an inferior position, but he had his pride and was not going to let Kang walk all over him. I think that made it easier to swallow the premise of a bully and his victim getting together. Also, the fact that they went out of their way to make sure Kang was not as cruel to Sailom as he was to Auto, nor nearly as long for.

Kang & Sailom: Kang is a spoiled rich brat. At least that is what he shows himself as, but that seems to be (at least partially) a front that he puts up. He does struggle a lot with people not having any expectations from him and his father always paying for Kang to get what he wants. No expectations are just as detrimental to a person as too high expectations. Sailom doesn’t come from money, and he is working hard to finish school, get into a good university and to help his brother pay off their family’s debt. He is both book smart and street smart. But he also hides a part of himself. Sometimes his bravery is just an act to hide how vulnerable and scared he is. Their relationship progressed too fast for my liking; they went from enemies to lovers in a very short time. Sailom did appear very reluctant when it came to their relationship, was very guarded. And I hated how that translated through the screen. I also didn’t like how Kang reacted at certain times. He was unreliable, rash, and confusing both to himself and to others. But I also understand why he acted that way based on his upbringing. He is used to everything being easy for him. That does not excuse how quickly Sailom forgave him. There should have been some begging. Perth and Chimon have good chemistry, but I don’t think that really showed in the series. And a lot of that has to do with Sailom’s reluctancy when it comes to showing affection to his boyfriend. Some of the emotional scenes were done better than others, but I wasn’t too bothered by that.

I do think that Sailom was that push Kang needed to better himself, to really see how his actions affect those around him. There was one specific scene in which Kang was a witness to violence and not the instigator. It might not have been bullying per se, but it was close enough. He was put into a very different position, and I do think that made him question his own behavior to some point.

Guy & Nawa: I have mixed feelings about the two. On one hand, I think they make a great couple, but on the other hand, I hate that they too started as bully x victim. It wasn’t really something that just happened for the first time like it was with Kang and Sailom. The two are very similar and I think that’s what makes them work. They are competitive, loyal and thrive on egging the other one. Plus they are absolutely adorable together! Marc and Pawin have great chemistry and it’s always fun seeing the two together.

Napdao & Pimfah: they were a couple that has been often hinted at but weren’t fully established as a couple. Again, I am not a fan of the whole teacher x student pairings. That just gives me an ick. However, with Napdao being a student teacher there is much of an age gap between the two. I do feel like Napdao is more of a student than a teacher, so that makes it a bit better, especially as the whole power imbalance is taken out of the equation. I do find them kind of cute together. And even more adorable if I try to picture them in a few months when they are both at university.

I liked the other side characters as well, even with their many flaws. Auto and Max were the third members of our two friend groups. They were both quite fun and supportive of their friends and their (stupid) ideas. Saifah was interesting, I do regret that his story was not explored more. He appeared as a slightly grey character, and I quite enjoyed that. Name was another complex character that we didn’t get to know enough about. I think that giving us more background on Saifa’s and Name’s past would make it easier to understand their story. Kang’s grandma was amazing! She was very supportive of her grandson and really showed her lover for him, but she also didn’t turn a blind eye to his wrong doings. She held him responsible and had realistic expectations for him. Kang’s father might appear as a not-so-great father, but he is only trying to make life easy for his son. He doesn’t want him to worry or suffer. And while his way of doing things is questionable, he is doing it because he loves his son.

I do think a lot of aspects of the series were either rushed or thrown in just for the drama. I think we would have all benefited from a problem or two less, and some more time spent on character growth and relationship building. I also think there were a lot of flashbacks that were not necessarily needed, especially when they were about the things that have happened recently. However, that doesn’t mean that all of them were misplaced.

There were also a lot of typical and cliché rom-com scenes – from the falling and catching scenes, to near kisses, and rain confessions. It had it all.

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