Pros: I think the cast was strong on all fronts from the core 4, to their friends, to the villains, and the extras.
While Fon's Smile did get a little annoying at times, she had a tenderness that you couldn't help but love her.
The chemistry between Mond and Fon was off the charts. I could do with them being a go-to couple.
Cons: The Boy For Rent concept could have been expanded on more. We know that Kyro is part owner so then why does he work and not just get profits? Also, Badz having to work there for his sister was a good plot but it was weakened by the quick explanation. Kyro and Liz had family issues related to the plot but they were much better executed.
Overall: Smile and Badz were the better couple but Liz and Kyro were the more fleshed out characters.
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If you want a lighthearted romantic comedy with a lot of eye candy (hello, Mond's 6-pack abs anyone?!), then BFR won't let you down. I never write reviews, especially for dramas, but I feel that the negative reviews shouldn't deter you from watching this.
For those who are looking for extremely flushed out characters and having every single question you have about the plot answered, you won't get that here. But let's be real, people, does BFR sound like a real concept to you?? Probably not. But what you will get are lovable characters, a lot of chemistry between our leads, hot make-out sessions, and lots of laughs.
Honestly, I liked Smile's character - there's a very endearing characteristic to her and I thought Fon did a great job. Not everyone could pull off an innocent character without being annoying. Also, I initially started this drama for Lee Thanat but ended up falling hard for Mond.
Fon and Mond's couple scenes had me gushing and rooting for them the whole way. I wasn't a huge fan of our second lead couple but they definitely grew on me.
Anyway, if you're looking for a lighthearted and short romantic comedy, I would highly recommend this. Considering there are only 12 episodes, a lot of my questions were answered and it was the ending I had hoped for. The storyline and the characters had me hooked. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
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First off, i need to clarify that my review are a lot different as compared to the rest. Mainly because I actually like Liz and Kyro character in this drama. Rather, i skipped most of Smile and Badz part instead.
The only reason why I started watching this drama was because of Lee Thanat (Kyro) being in this show, and the plot seems interesting to me. What made me complete this drama was also because of him. Also, i really like watching dramas with "bad boy" as main character, which further provides me a reason to start watching.
Next, about the character.
I am not too much of a fan for those girly and childish girls, therefore i wasn't very fond of Smile character in this drama. It was annoying, yes and she needs to act her age! Though i have to admit she is cute, but otherwise it's a huge no for me.
I'm okay with Badz character in this drama, but I feel that all these problems will not occur in the first place if he actually communicated with Liz. Other than that, he was a good guy even though i dislike the fact that he fell in love with Smile a little too quick when he just broke up with Liz.
Liz - i don't get why many people dislike her character in this drama because i actually loved her. She may be portrayed as someone bitchy, but what I felt from her character was that she is someone strong, independent and cool. And i don't get why her hair would actually affect you though, i mean it's not that much of a big deal? Even though she could also be blame for not trusting Badz therefore leading to a strain in their relationship. Yes, she may be confused with her feelings but you don't see her acting so lovely with Kyro? So i don't understand why people are saying she's cheating especially when Badz seems a lot more closer and acting lovely with Smile. (just my opinion!!)
Kyro - let's just say because i really liked him, therefore i have no complaints? I really like the part where he chased after Liz, it really made my heart ache for him when he went through countless of rejections. Yes, i admit i am a sucker for him and bad boys. And i really love his expressions portrayed throughout the drama.
All in all, like i said this is based on my own opinion and many of you might not agree with me. But if you are interested in cute relationships, Smile and Badz are the reason for you to watch this. And if you are like me, a fan of bad boy and strong girl characters, Liz and Kyro should be the reason for you to watch it.
There are a few plot holes in this drama, rushed ending for Liz and Kyro, kidnaps and rape scenes are just so annoying and too exaggerated as well. Despite all these, i still gave it a high rating because it satisfy my needs for bad boy and strong girl type of relationships, and the music was nice too.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have never finished a Thai drama, actually that’s not true, I have finished Oh My Ghost, but that was partly due to me not having finished the original Oh My Ghost and thus did not find it to be as atrocious as anyone who loved the original had. Also I don’t count remakes because you already know what’s going to happen and you keep watching to see how this version chooses to do it. So like I said, I have never finished a Thai drama.. That is until Boy For Rent.You all must be thinking, what possessed me to even start watching this shit and honestly I was just bored one Sunday afternoon, saw the title and decided, “fuck it” and twelve episodes later here I am writing a review.
This story is just incredulous to say the least. So many plot holes and inconsistency and I don’t just mean with Liz’s hair that literally goes from brown to black in every damn scene. I mean we know that scenes aren’t film in a continuous sequence but could they at least tell home girl not to die her hair during the middle of filming?!?! It was so distracting! But anyways story is straight up on crack. This is story is about prostitution, yes point blank, plain and simple, this is prostitution. They pay money to rent these boys and then they are basically their properties until the contract is up. So that is why I was not surprised to see that almost every episode had some form of fucked up shit in it? We had Smile almost getting rape at least ten times, and no I am not exaggerating. We had scenes that were quite questionable when it comes to consent. The twist at the end was just straight what the actual fuck and made me wonder if everything was going on over at GMM ONE studios.. Like lmfao y’all tried it.
The characters.. SIGHS. Okay so let’s start with Smile. I don’t like naïve leads, not that there is anything wrong with women who are kind, and sweet, but listen.. Smile was every bit that childish girl that Kyro said, I literally wanted to reach into my laptop screen and smack the dumbass a few times. I don’t think she really developed character wise in all honesty. It was like she went from a nerd to a nerd with a boyfriend. Badz, bless his soul, was your typical handsome male lead. The problems that he created with Liz could have been resolved by COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND. He does have a banging body though (pretty sure it was in Mond’s contract to take the shirt off every episode and I am not complaining.) Liz was a dumb bitch, but not in the dumb cute way that Smile was, but like a proper dumb bitch.. Once again all her issues with Badz would’ve been solved had she just communicated.. Just think for a while, your girl says she saw your man with another girl and you don’t confront him? You’re just like “uhh cool, let me rent a prostitute to cheat with then” like nah girl, first we confront his ass and then we fuck his best friend. Kyro was the caricature of a bad boy who finds a woman that changes him with daddy issues.*yawn*
At this point you’re probably wondering how it was possible that I finished it and if I was hate-watching like I tend to do sometimes, but the truth is that I am in love with Badz and Smile’s chemistry or I guess Mond and Fon. I couldn’t get enough of it. I wanted to see them at all times and watch them be absolutely fucking moronic with each other because they were so freaking cute. I legit skipped all Liz and Kyro scenes cause I could not give any less of a fuck about anything either of the two did. I eagerly waited on my subs just so I could watch these cuties and I don’t regret it all. Matter of fact, if there is someone out there who can just cut all the Liz and Kyro scenes from the drama and make the show solely about Badz and Smile, I would very much appreciate it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Boy For Rent? More like.... Hair For Rent.Honestly, did no one give a damn that Liz's hair colour was changing from black to brown to black to bro- in every gosh darn every episode?
I can't say much for this drama... It has your standard childish naive fl stereotype and after a few episodes, she lets her hair down, removes her glasses and she's a brand new person... I guess? Not really. I don't understand how one can take off their glasses and make it out alive.
Y'all know what I didn't like??? The sexual assault scenes. I sWEAR to the deities above that the amount of times a sexual assault scene happened... I just? It would've been fine if it was just once but no, there was one in the last episode as well. There was no police involved after the assaults??? It was brushed off like nothing. Sigh. Also, there was a questionable part that lacks consent (Badz and Smile in the hotel). I didn't like how Badz was talking about the man instinct bull. Like bruh, no, men should keep it in their pants and learn how to take "no" as an answer.
Usually, in Thai dramas, I skip the ads. In here, I skipped Kyro and Liz scenes. I didn't see chemistry between the two at all. I do like that the characters have a bit depth to them and they are helping each other cope with their family struggles.... but there were no sparks at all. I wasn't the biggest fan of Liz's character... her character was lacking personality. I think that's why I wasn't digging her with Kyro. Seriously, Smile has better chemistry with Kyro. I'm confused. The relationship of Badz and Liz was bound to fail. 2 years of dating and they can't even manage to communicate? All the issues and conflicts could've been resolved if they sat down, ate their salad and talked. Badz should've opened up to Liz about how he ended up in such a job and Liz should've told Badz about how she didn't feel secure in their relationship. No need of going to this shady place and renting a guy to get back at your "cheating" boyfriend. It just makes you look worse.
So, what did I like? Badz and Smile!!! These two are so fluffy and they just blend well together. I like at the beginning when Badz taught Smile how to be aware of her surroundings and not be naive. The chemistry between these two is so good that I forgot about Smile's screeching voice at the beginning.
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This review may contain spoilers
My main reasons to watch this series were Lee and Victor, and they certainly did not disappoint. The rest was however in need of improvement.My main issues with this drama were the following:
- The whole Boy for Rent concept was poorly thought through. Imo it was far too obvious that BFR was only there to somehow hide how unoriginal the main story (the love square) was. Additionally, scenes like the "recruitment" of Badz (with Jayden simply threatening to shoot him) made it appear totally unrealistic and extremely ridiculous.
- The way they dealt with the kidnapping, attempted rape and even attempted murder (which all occurred in this series a lot), was disappointing. No police, no consequences, no traumas (poor Smile)?
- Talking about Smile: she is one of my issues as well. No, I have no problems with the actress, but this character (which Fon played well) got on my nerves from the first to the last episode. Her depicted naivete was definitely not fitting her age, and even though they did a good job showing her positive development throughout the series, it was just not enough. Oh, and her friend/roommate was annoying as well.
- The series seemed to stumble on certain gender stereotypes, most evidently when Badz was in the hotel with Smile.
- I found the music to be disappointing, but since I liked the songs, I'm not totally sure what the problem was. I guess it was their use of the overall music, which was too repetitive and often over the top.
- In many parts of the series I was just bored. The BFR service was pointless, all the criminals that the main characters encountered were easily handled and neither Badz nor Smile had a backstory. Only few changes of location as well.
There are still enough positive aspects though.
- The actors were doing great. Victor imo was undoubtedly the best, his final scene is award-worthy. :D Even the supporting cast was always on point.
- Although the plot was ridiculous, the story development through the course of the 12 episodes was well thought-out by the writers, with nicely timed-flashbacks and last-minute revelations. Didn't feel like they threw in some storylines just to play for time, leaving open ends (as it happens way too often).
- I really liked Liz's and Kyro's background stories. The reunion of Kyro and his father nearly had me in tears and Liz standing up to her family (and her terrible sister) was very relieving.
- The final episode was much better than I expected it to be. It offered a heavy plot twist, a very dramatic last-minute rescue, an extremely funny confrontation with Jayden and happy ends for both of the couples. The flashback with the leaflet was perfect and Jayden's final scene genius.
Since I watched BFR and Love Beyond Frontier simultaneously, I like to compare the two. Overall I'm giving them the same rating, but since I'm personally paying more attention to the story than to the cast, I still prefer LBF to BFR.
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The acting was meh as well and no one really stood out with their acting skills. Fon was annoying, Aye was a bitch at times who cried too much, Mond was just straight up pitiful, and Lee kinda looked like he was uncomfortable. This drama has so many kissing scenes but they're all bad lol with the typical guy kisses girl and her staring off into space wide-eyed responding like a dead fish.
The music was a highlight for me though. Aye and Lee have amazing singing voices and their duets were beautiful.
All in all this drama didn't leave a lasting impression and I'll end up forgetting it like I do with so many that leave me feeling this way.
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Is it perfect? Hell no. There were many serious things happening with not so serious ramifications which usually bothers me but with BFR somehow it felt right for the light romance feel. Because the focus of the drama was not those things but the romantic and sexual tensions between the main characters and they did such a great job of making me feel their chemistry and their bond.
I honestly loved watching both the couples but I do have a slight preference for Badz (Mond) because that guy is just a tall baby XD how can you not adore him! But seriously it's a slow burn with not that much skin ship but when it happens it's hot. Because their bond doesn't feel fake you end up rooting for them.
And again, like I said this show is more guilty pleasure romance but still has a good script and the story doesn't get boring.
All in all one of my faves!
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As soon as you breakup WTH do you want a new girlfriend.you work for bfr stay single na, so you don’t have to lie to your lover
First couple Badz and SMILE were my patience to finish it off.
Second couple KYRO and LIZ were too much. I eventually skipped through their scenes. They were mature couple but there wasn’t any chemistry nor any character development.
•Acting- Fon as smile was a character I could connect and she was amazing, as a university student finding love. How many times did she go through almost rape situations was fine. I don’t like that in a story.
Mond as Badz was OK as a charcter he could have done more.
Aye as liz was seemed like a troubled person but still don’t get what she want.
Lee as Kyro was totally no no for me. You should decide what you want, instead for just pushing and pulling in the situation.
•Music- It was ok, guitar chords were soothing
•Rewatch- once is enough
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Cheese, fluffy , fun
I just happened upon this drama one day on youtube I don't even remember who I got onto the production company's page. The premise sounded interesting and I gave it a shot. To be honest the chemistry of the main couple was what kept me going> I literally fast-forwarded through the 2nd couples scenes LOL I don't even remember the plot points they had. This is not a deep or very well written story. It's fluffy, light and there are lots of gaps to complain about. BUT the chemistry of the lead actors and the initial plot was very fun. I waited with excitement every week for the new subs to come out on youtube. Its a perfect filler drama for when you're in a slump or just want something light. Production values arent really that high either but just go with it LOL. But I have rewatched certain scenes with the lead multiple times cos I just LOVE their chemistry.Was this review helpful to you?
Good storyline but not the story telling
The story was supposed to be good but the story telling is not. I think it's more of the director's fault than the actors' performance overall. Some of the actors I have seen in other shows and they can act good. The fight scenes are obviously fake that it can pass for a shallow slapstick rather than the seriousness of the situation. Before the show ends, there was a comic relief but wasn't delivered right to bring out the laughs. It brought smirks from me instead.Overall, you can skip through this show. Or wait for a better remake, if someone will do it.
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This review may contain spoilers
So my title is a giveaway. But also, not.
So for the storyline progress, it was easy to see where it was heading, something was just a little too obvious. But don't disappoint, the actual build-up and performance were better than I expected.
Some notes that I didn't enjoy, Liz's hair kept changing from scene to scene, which makes it evident that the scenes were shot differently. (Which isn't usually an issue). But when the main girl goes from black to brown and back to black and then brown in every scene? Like what.
Even though there were two female leads, I wanted to see more of happening between Smile and Kyro, Not that I was rooting for them, but Smile after all rented a boy to learn how to get Kyro.
But who am I if I didn't appreciate the chemistry between Badz and Smile. Like wow, when they share that kissing scene in bed, I was ready to lose it. Badz is also really muscular built and very tall compare to Smile, it was very steamy. There weren't enough shirtless scenes in this show (This is a joke).
I wanted Kyro to be more of an asshole too, but when Liz turns the table and sleeps with him and then ditches him I kind of got respect for her. Also I kept mixing up her best friend and sister.
It's sad we didn't get much more background on Smile, but I really like the back story of Liz, Badz and Kyro.
Oh and I couldn't cope with Onnie at all in the beginning, being very unreasonable. But when she at the end was there for Smile the table turned for sure.
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