The overall acting is solid! Joss Wayar finally gets a leading role in a series and he doesn’t disappoint playing Neo, the tall, dark, street-wise survivor looking for a place to land. Tay Tawan is equally as successful playing Shin, the shy, naive, gay, introvert son of a big time mafia boss. It’s great to see Tay show his acting range as he’s successfully played the strong, knows what he wants role in other series and he portrays himself as a happy go-lucky guy in the various reality type shows that he does. This was definitely a good departure from his usual. Mild Lapassalan rounds off the big three with a good performance as Miw the hapless trouble follows me girl. Honestly, not a huge stretch for her as she does the strong female character well. It was really nice to see Jennie Penhan finally get a significant role in a series, arguably she too is a lead in this series. Her performance here will hopefully lead to more significant roles for her in the future.
Overall, a worthwhile series to watch! Watch it for the acting and unique storyline.
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STORY
===========================
When three unrelated strangers, Shin, Neo and Miw, were forced to run together from a gang due an unexpected incident occurred. Is it luck that one of the three is the son of the gang leader (Shin) that is after them? Or will the other two (Neo and Miw) take advantage of the son of the gang leader to gain the upper hand? That seems to be the consistent theme all through out that will make you think, is the son will betray his new found "friends" to gain his father's approval? Or will he help his friends to eventually escape the gang who is after them? So how unrelated the three truly are when you learn that there is one person among the three that is common to the other two. Is it really that fate that jokingly put them together, or it is just a matter of time that the paths of the three will eventually crossed?
On the surface this would be a typical gang-related series that you took one of ours, then you should be eliminated. But that is not the case here. You will realize that each of the 3 has a past that is somehow connected to a family member that led to their current state of "misery". And as the saying goes, "misery loves company". All of them has this unspoken goal: to prove to the world that I am more of what is my past. It is through this misery that they find comfort and sees each other eye to eye. But will this bond be enough to get themselves out of the hole they are in? Or will this gathering will be their demise?
Truly, this is a series of crime committed after the other and seemingly unending violence, loyalty and standing your friends, making up for the mistakes you made with your family and achieving a dream. All of those inter-woven in a seemingly complicated plot. But once you were able to figure out what and where it needs to go, you will see perfectly created canvass of real life SURVIVAL.
After the violence and deaths that had happened, will there still be a happy ending for anyone? And will anyone be truly free from their past to build a new future? This what you have to find out.
I deliberately left out the sexual relationship among the 3 as for me, it is not that important than what was formed among them. And that is what I want for the viewers to focus on. The sexual tension is just an icing on top. To mellow down your adrenaline pump and redirect it into something equally exciting. Can it be left out? NO. As it serves the catalyst of the whole story, beginning for series of unfortunate events.
ACTING/CAST
===========================
Let me start the review of the cast and their acting from MY most favorite to the least.
JENNIE as MAE - this is definitely a breath of fresh air. For the longest time I have been watching Thai series, may it BL, straight or mixed, this is a first that humanizes a trans-woman and gave some sense of dignity. Unlike what I watched before that a trans woman often gets ridiculed, a butt of jokes, mocked and treated like lower than a second class citizen. Here, you can see that a trans woman also have a dream, gets hurt, struggles, fight back when pushed against a wall... just... like... any... other... human. Jennie gave life to Mae, her chasing an identity she had dream for so long, the pursuit of what she thinks can make her happy, pay back the kindness of the people that shown it to her. Her character is one of the most develop in this series. She starts of with a meager job and when the unfortunate happened, she "man" up. As the series progress, she becomes tougher and tougher, often times at conflict with morality where is currently placed herself in. Can she attain "justice" by inflicting injustice to others, this the main theme of her character. And she has the most important role here! For that, kudos to the team behind this!
GUNsmile as TER - Is another character that transitioned well. From playing Prem in SOTUS with anger management issue, to a wacky ghost friend in He's Coming To Me, he is turning into one versatile actor. What helped his role here as Ter is his role as Prem. A no non-sense guy that is willing to do anything and everything to complete the task he was given. And how he takes care of Mae here, reminds me of how he treated Wad (Fluke of SOTUS) after both of them were engage in a fist fight. It started as a promise with a friend that eventually led to something more. His role turned a mere "baby-sitter" to protector to a support buddy. You can clearly see as well how he changed from a strong-willed gang member that nobody can changes his mind if he sets his mind to it, to being influenced in thinking things through with logic and sense of responsibility. And he is so handsome in the last episode, Gunsmile should smile more!
TAY as SHIN - If you have been following him, you most probably know that he is connected to New. And perhaps you seen his acting developed from to Kiss Me Again, to the Our Skyy special, truly he can deliver what is required in acting in a romantic role. But this time around, it is way different. Here, you can see a nerdy looking, naive, detest violence and to a degree, a gullible guy. If you watched him first here then watch him paired up with New, all of the characteristics of his role here is the exact opposite. And that speaks volume on how good an actor he is. Shin character here is torn between friends and a father. Often times you can see him struggles and even second guesses his decisions. One can also see the situation he is in, a normal life or a life of a gangster. Early part of the show, it is establish who he will chose between the two. But towards the end, you might think otherwise. It is only in the last episode that was clearly shown who he choose between his friend or his father.
MILD as MIW - I watched this girl first in Kiss Me Again as Sandee, you can see her assertiveness in getting a thing done. Bossy at times. But lack of airtime can make you wonder, "Is that all she got?". Then I watched "Happy Birthday the series". Oh boy! I was impressed how she transitioned her character from Sandee to Tharnnam. From then on, I know she is a versatile actress that dares not to be stereotype as far as a character that she can play. Her role here as Miw is an edgy, sassy and you can see also a vulnerable side of the character which she gives justice. Now as she reprise her role in "Dark Blue Kiss", personally, she sets up a high bar that she needs to overcome; but I don't mind being the good old friendly Sandee to Pete and Kao. It will speak the consistency of her acting. Miw here is constantly veering away from an ugly past, trying to prove to others that she more than what she was used to be. Often times, you would see her "battle" through to prove her worth, and in the end, she did. With her looks here is inconsistent in what she is trying to be. It is a demon that she is constantly trying to get rid off. Nothing but praises for Mild's portrayal of Miw.
JOSS as NEO - To be honest, this is the first series/movie I watched him act. And I am impressed as well. His acting as the leader of the group was done with credibility as he shows when to stand by his decision, when to level with his friends, when to be soft and caring. He is the perfect lead role an action themed series or movies as he got the looks of this bad boy image, the body and his height suits that kind of character. I hope to see him more acting with a similar theme like this one. What I like also about the production team is how they make Joss looks like, with little or no make-up at all. You can see numerous close-up scenes the blemishes on his face which makes the character more credible like who wears make-up in a gun fight, right?
TOPTAP as PP - For two series I watched him appeared, Water Boyy the series and SOTUS, you will develop a feeling of disliking the character. That is no different from this one. BUT WAIT! There is definitely more than being disliked. and sure enough, he can be adorable too! When a role demands to be hate, like Joffrey Baratheon, and viewers hate you, then you are doing a great job. But his angelic face does not really suits a role of an antagonist or to be disliked. He needs more role of a bubbly, adorable roles that when he smiles, one can melt easily.
PRAME as LUANG - When he appeared as Nack in The Gifted the series, it felt that he could have shown his acting more, only if he was given more airtime. But given what he has in that series, he was able to show a couple different side of the character. But for Luang, it is just a one layer character, it lacks diversity in his emotions even a back story is not that solid. Even when Luang is one of the important character that helped the 3 extensively.
MUSIC
===========================
I really don't expect a memorable music or song from an action series, after all, the show needs to pump as much as adrenaline into your body and not a second to waste mellowing down, smelling the flowers on the roadside. However, how I wish they production team put more of the heartbeating background sounds that will leave you at the edge of you seat waiting what will happen next. There were a lot of gun pointing scenes, as expected from this genre of show, but you know already what will happen next since it lacks the suspense factor of a background sounds.
REWATCH VALUE
===========================
It is really hard to rewatch something that there is a definite ending. All lose ends are tied up and when mystery that was set early was completely resolved. BUT, it doesn't mean that you will be wasting your time watching this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Neo: I love you both, equally and at the same time.It was so very apparent how much Neo loved them both but especially the way he adored Shin was amazing. Because towards Miw he was very manly heroic and protective, the typical dashing hero, you know? But the way he… mellowed around Shin, his whole behavior simply softened. Like Shin said to Miw, “[Neo] gets my sensitivities and your abrasive loud mouth.” They obviously both gave him something he needed.
And the same went for Miw and Shin. They both loved Neo very much, that was their common ground but at the end of the series, it was obvious they started to feel something for each other, too. For Miw, both Neo and Shin were softer than her but differently so. Neo was more her equal so she could be brash with him -but she couldn’t be that way with Shin without feeling guilty. Shin was squishy and soft and so he made her softer, too. For Shin, both Neo and Miw were true and genuine, but whereas Neo was kind, Miw was brutally honest.
So, if you want to watch a genuine polyamory story, not a love triangle, then do watch 3 Will Be Free. Because their poly love is not just explicit - as in sex - but also discussed openly.
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OVERALL:
This is BY FAR one of the best shows I have ever watched PERIOD. There is a little bit of everything, from romance to action to drama, it's all here. I literally just finished half an hour ago and already want to show this to all my friends. The story and characters fit so well and whoever wrote the script is an absolute genius. There aren't many shows I can binge-watch, but this show caught me from the very first episode and kept me hooked 'till the end. Even if this doesn't seem like your cup of tea, I highly recommend watching at least the first episode.
STORY:
Oh boy, where to start??? Like I said before I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't stop. The characters are so deep and the messages that are portrayed throughout the storyline were weaved in perfectly to create only what I can describe as ART. Not only that but the show wasn't smothered out by romance either. It was more subtle and natural which I really really enjoyed! Neo, Shin, and Miw are brought together by dangerous circumstances and together they work towards their freedom. But the way the storyline builds and the more you dive into each of the characters, the more you fall in love with them. Even the supporting roles had their own stories that made you feel so many emotions. I really give props to the scriptwriters, directors and everyone involving in creating this wonderfully meaningful and action-packed story.
ACTING/CAST:
Let's just start off with me saying the casting choices were SPOT ON! Joss (Neo), Tay (Shin), and Mild (Miw) did an amazing job embodying these characters and really brought them to life. When they cried, I cried. When they laughed, I laughed. You could really feel the chemistry between all of them. And for the supporting cast, first of all, IM SO HAPPY, I GET TO SEE GUN (Tur) HAVING SUCH A GOOD ROLE! after watching so many BL's with him either not having lines or having very little lines, it was so great to see him portray this role as a hitman. He did very well, and he and Jennie (Mae), were a great pair. Jennie also played such a deep character that I really commend her for. Overall, the casting and acting were brilliant!
Side note: I believe this is Joss's debut as one of the main actors, and he totally KILLED it! I can't wait to see more from him!
MUSIC:
I don't really have much to say about the music from this show other than I REALLY enjoying the opening theme! It was very dramatic and intense. Perfect for the show.
REWATCH VALUE:
Definitely 10/10 would rewatch multiple times! it was just THAT impactful and memorable.
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This review may contain spoilers
I guess I was a little too hyped when I started watching this, so it couldn’t completely live up to my expectations, but it still managed to remain exciting and memorable (will definitely watch it again)!I have few criticism:
- The overall gangster story suffered from several pretty obvious plot holes. It could have been elaborated in a much more complete way, but probably the writers just didn’t have the time/budget/whatever to come up with more.
- Some of the dialogues seemed forced. The three of them were sometimes just standing somewhere and talking without really interacting with each other, basically only to let the audience know about how the plot was proceeding. A little cringeworthy, sadly.
- 10 episodes was too short for this, at least two more would have been likely to improve the storytelling imo.
But enough with the negatives.
- This series had so many great characters! Not a single one of the supporting cast was boring or unnecessary, everyone had their own personal story and it was easy to sympathise even with the clear bad guys (I loved Thana’s reaction to Shin’s coming out, for example). And yes, the actors all did a good job in portraying those characters.
- Also, the relations between all of the characters took many surprising turns and developed in sometimes unconventional ways. The polyamorous love story played out well, making it obvious and leaving it somewhat open all at the same time in the final episode.
- Ep. 3 had me particularly hooked and contributed to the high pace of the series (which unfortunately got slowed down towards the end). It’s an amazing standalone story inside the main story and I would have wished for more of those in the following episodes.
- The overall excitement and drama was well-conveyed, the “breathlessness” of the chase was easily reproducible. Music contributed to that fact to a great extent. The frequent killings were not unnecessarily sugarcoated and managed to really hit hard.
Long story short, I loved the series regardless of its little flaws. I definitely want to see more of this type!
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This review may contain spoilers
This review ONLY HAS SPOILERS so don't read it if you didn't finish the show!!!!! I warned you........This ending is so good! I didn't expect P'Mae to kill Shin's dad but he DID order to kill Ter. I guess the reason why she didn't kill the three for killing Phon is because she realized there was a difference between killing out of pride and killing to survive...So sad Ter died but I guess I expected it from the time he said he would be there for her when she woke up...
Next is Shin, Neo and Miw... I'm so happy they are all together now, and free. I'm glad they didn't go for the boring love triangle route because I had hopes they were all going to be in love with each other and in a three way relationship from the trailer...
Beautiful ending teaching us that you have to be yourself to be happy, and not try to meet someone else's expectations...I'm happy with the way it ended :)
(Even PP gets to have his happy ending and work with Shin to unsuccessfully flirt with him forever XD)
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This review may contain spoilers
Threesome? Yes!
The story is awesome and thrilling. On the other hand, I find the story so predictable. Like the plot twists are so obvious.The casts are so hot, especially Khun Shin (Tay) and Neo (Joss). Mew (Mild) slayed it. The three of them gives the series balance flavor.
I can see the chemistry between Mae (P'Jennie) and Ter (Gunsmile). Looking forward for more series from them. Just a little bit upset when Phon (Max) died early in the series.
Music used in the series are okay.
Definitely will watch it again and it is worth it.
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This review may contain spoilers
At first watching this show I the title seemed like something that was just a nice catchy thing for an action romance drama. But after actually watching the show the symbolism amazes me. I liked how all the characters were different, but Neo, Shin, and Miw were the real show stoppers. First off Miw has been through a lot and still was able to be strong, and for the most part kept a straight head on herself. Throughout the series being able to confront her past and be able to come back stronger because of it was inspiring. She was able to free herself from her past, and it was an wonderful to be able to experience it with her. Her freedom was her past. Shin is my favorite mainly because unlike the other two he grew up privileged and so he is assumed that he is just a gullible push-over. And for the most part this is true he is the one that holds them all together, and saves them more than one occasion. He is nice, smart guy who is always rational and makes the best decisions with the options that he is given. His father is seen as a bad guy, which he is, but at least he cares deeply for Shin even if its in a weird way. Shin's coming out was one of the best ways that a parent could respond and is one of my favorite quotes in the whole series because instead of rejecting him, he told him that he doesn't care about his sexuality, just that he takes care of himself first. Shin has grown as a person because of Neo and Miw. He is finally free of his father's expectation and has accepted himself finally. His freedom was his own mind. Neo is an extremely caring person, who believes in doing the right thing most of the time. He is a little hot-headed at times which gets him into trouble. He is the main cause of the three's problem, but in the end it just brought them closer. His freedom was from Thana. The way that the series brought them all together was nothing short of amazing. Miw and Shin likes Neo in their own way. Miw and Neo are both hard-headed and often clash which is resolved by Shin. Neo and Shin are careful with each other having a mutual understanding. And Shin and Miw have a lovey dovey kind of relationship. Both Neo and Miw care deeply for Shin, and doesn't want him to be left out. The story and the deeper meaning to everything makes this one of my favorite shows that I didn't expect to like. Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I feel like this show had potential and I quite liked the first five episodes, but this does not mean that the show does not have its own flaws. Sometimes it seemed like the trio were on a road trip instead of running away because Neo seemed too cherry and chill-chill, and Shin was all about me-meh; and/or both the villains were at time reckless. Why road trip? Because the story did not really move forward until something tragic happened that triggered Neo's reaction to facing reality realizing that he needs to finish and end this once and for all; starts his little short mini training and goes solo. Why were the villains reckless? Well, first villain was strangled to death by second villain's people in a barber shop, yes, in a barber shop. And, I thought first villain had more money, and more power as that was what was emphasized by the two villains. How the heck did first villain get killed so easily let alone prior to this getting shot in the leg in his really tight, tight, tight top security home? Now, lets not forget about the second villain. Idk why he had to be killed by Mae? Where were his guards at that time? How in the world did Mae find his secret hideout where he took the trio? Mae could not even track the trio down herself let alone a gang leader.Another thing that I did not like was the dragged out relationship between Neo, Shin, and Miw. It became quite the focal point of the show. I did not mind that they all had a correlation of some sort of a past, present or future together, but I wanted this clarification to end once they all had that confirmation or acknowledgement. TBH, I found Shin's character quite annoying because he kept wanting reaffirmation of where he stands in the relationship or how important he is to Neo. If Shin was actually a GIRL instead of a BOY, I wondered if this character would have received the same amount of love from the audience in comparison to Tay. They had Neo stringing along Miw and Shin, which annoys the heck out of me because apparently he loves them both, but you always love something more than the other. If you watch the show then you can tell that Neo treats Miw really differently from Shin especially his gaze and his jealousy, which is why I get confused as to what his intention was in saying that he loved them both. If they all had a friendly relationship where they all loved each other like friends or family then I can get by with this, but NOPE they all (at least in Shin's or Neo's case) wanted something from the other and I did not like the show for milking this relationship.
I started this drama because of Joss and he's able to keep my gaze lock down on him throughout the entire show, but I ended up falling for Mild's character, Miw. I am not a big fan of Mild, but her character Miw is definitely one of the reason why I stayed with this show. Other people may have their own reasons, but my reason was Miw. Miw was pretty much an all around character that you just want to root for since she was not attached to anything, but gives her best at everything. She was blunt and bad ass; like she herself said, she saved Neo twice even if this event of saving him brought her back to her traumatic past. If Miw did not pull that trigger, Neo would have been dead by the first episode. I am able to sympathize with Miw since she was the only one running from a true traumatic past events leading to who she is today. It changed her, but it also made her stronger. She puts her own happiness and well-being before others, but this does not mean that she is completely heartless or uncaring. She does more of giving advice sometimes in a blunt way, enabling the action or is the brain, and following through with her plans. One thing I love about her is that she does not need a man to make her know her own self worth because she never chased after Neo nor tie herself down to a guy. It was only towards the end where she finally lets everything go, thought of what she really wanted, and chased after her own happiness.
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Dangerously Underrated series
Not only is the cast attractive, but the story is very well written, and the music is awesome. I love the fact this is not one of those sappy BL shows that we have all seen. It is mature and can get dark, and that is what I love about it. While it is refreshing to have shows like BLs, rehashing the same plot limits them, and that in and of itself is a bad thing. I have binged a lot of BL stories in 2020, and for the most part, they all followed the same storyline. This and Cheat were the only ones I watched so far that dared to be different, and boy did it pay off.Was this review helpful to you?
