Why R U? (2020)

Detailed Rewatch Review

Rewatched my first BL to write a proper review 4 years after its release... I feel like I didn't watch it properly enough to appreciate it during covid era.

1. Story (7/10)
LIKES
FighterTutor:
The hardship they had to go through made their relationship feel even deeper, how they showed their love and care for each other. The process on how they went from enemies to lovers was great, the pacing of each character's expressions was just right. How their confusion and desire for each other was portrayed amazingly with the story. The issue they had with Fighter's dad added a whole new level to their story. The build-up done for their first kiss was just *muah*. I appreciate there not being any stupid misunderstanding that could've been avoided easily, they were mature with each other. My rating for this category is honestly, heavily carried by FighterTutor's story. If the series was only about FighterTutor, I'd rate the story an (8.5/10)

SaifahZon:
The other main couple that's the complete opposite with their relationship filled with mostly fluff. I absolutely adore Zon's awareness of him being in a novel and his comicalness. The beginning episodes portrayed their cute tension together as they're stuck in those situations are very adorable. This couple is perfect for people who like simple yet cute dynamics, their gentleness with each other is so soft. They were able to execute cliche scene with Zol's novel, pure entertainment from a student's fan fiction, which made it funny and not cringe at all.

Others:
1. The guest roles of TharnType and Make it Right's couples were a very creative way to show how their world had changed to a novel story
2. How Zon's parents had a confusing attitude to him was a good way to show how when you're in a novel, the side characters will strangely support whatever is related to your lover (In reference to them allowing Zon play music with Saifah but not writing fictions even though both doesn't contribute to his GPA)
3. Tongta and Tutor's sibling relationship is very precious, scripted well

DISLIKES
FighterTutor:
It wasn't shown enough why exactly Fighter liked Tutor in the first place, why did their first meeting during orientation make Fighter develop slight feelings for him? Trolling him was cute in Fighter's eyes but not to Tutor apparently. Fighter did Hwa wrong and it wasn't emphasized enough, even Zee said himself his character wasn't a good person XD. Tutor being Hwa's best friend acted out-of-character taking part in the relationship knowing he cares for her. I didn't like how FT's relationship when they were enemies were mostly harassment done by Fighter. He cornered him when it was night time at campus, hugged him when preparing Hwa's cake, and kissed him during Hwa's party. Even though, those unwanted moments by Tutor made him realize his feelings, it's unethical. Their relationship was mostly physical, it was almost like only lust, sometimes too much around the last episodes. The issue with Fighter's dad successfully proved it wrong though. During this issue, their tension wasn't shown enough since Tutor's sick scene made me almost forget that they weren't on good terms.

SaifahZon:
Even though they're supposed to be equal to the other main couple, they felt like a side couple during the later episodes which I can understand due to covid issues as they mentioned. My question is even if there were no disruptions, what story and plot would've been added that would contribute in their relationship growth? With FT's deeper story, it made them stand out way more. How SZ initially got close was due to the cute boy fan club with Soda and Luktan which his friends and the seniors totally forced on poor Zon. Imagine having to show affection to the guy who doesn't feel guilty about your ex cheating with him. And remember that time Zon had to take Saifah's towel in the locker room and he cornered Zon, attempted to flash him?! Poor Zon was so scared he hid inside one of the stalls. Another time was when Zon was sleeping before their rehearsal the music show on the couch, and Saifah literally kissed him. This is not a cute act and shouldn't have been portrayed as one. Their accidental first kiss during their fight was a bit crazy, I wanted to excuse this scene with Zol's novel but that was before she even started writing. During the last episode, their emotional bed scene together felt a bit off. The whole time their relationship was based on simplicity, so their deep emotions then made it feel off.

JapanTanthai:
Their affection was so unexpected that it felt like Tanthai was using Japan to get into the soccer team. Absolutely no reason for them to start liking each other, for some reason they already enjoy close-proximity presence.

DewBlue:
I thought Dew had a split personality from attempting to hit Blue, to helping him practice soccer. Literally the only reason why he didn't hit him was because Champ stopped him at the exact time. If Dew wanted to soften up to Blue, it wasn't portrayed enough. How was Blue not visibly afraid of him? ChampBlue literally feels better since Champ is a green flag who can take care of Dew's youth well.

DayHwa:
Day attempted to take advantage of her when she was drunk during her party, the only reason why they didn't kiss was because Hwa looked away. Not only during here, but also right after when Fighter broke up with Hwa. He knew she was in a vulnerable position in need of a lover who would support and care for her, as the third-party he took still part in the mutual kiss. I don't even know if Hwa likes Day for him or because he was able to utilize her heartbreak at the right time. Also, Hwa forgave Tutor was too easily. He was a part of her heartbreak, even though it probably wouldn't have worked out without him anyway.

Zol:
A university student, 18 years old, but writing romance fan fictions of real-life people actively hating on each other and publishing it online. Not only she didn't ask for their permissions (excluding Blue for some reason), she lied to Zon about deleting his name from her fiction. It's okay for a bad character to exist in a story, but it was downplayed as an okay thing that I don't like.

Others:
1. Tutor's past for being rich could've been emphasized better, it was random and easily forgotten
2. There were some cringe scenes, but it was backed by the idea that they were in a novel
3. Zen was.... just there. Not sure what this character was for. Did not contribute much to any plots, or entertainment

2. Acting/Cast (8.5)
LIKES
ZeeSaint:
Easily the best acted couple in this series. I want to appreciate Saint's ability to express various emotions in a very natural way playing a character who shows his emotions. How he portrays Tutor's discomfort and tension with Fighter is absolutely my favorite part of his character, heavy on the tension during their first mutual kiss while studying and the emotional scene at the campus during night time when Tutor said no one understood him. One of my favorite acting showcase scene would be when Fighter begged Tutor to tell him why he ghosted him at his condo. I never thought I'd ever see Zee's character weeping like that, it was a very emotional scene and both actors did great. Another natural scene from this couple was at the last episode, when Tutor admitted to being possessive after Fighter took off his shirt at the beach. It was absolutely adorable. ZeeSaint's chemistry in WHY R U the series is just perfect, the way they look at each other, and their affection. There are not enough words to comment on their bed scenes, it is not awkward at all and I want to applaud them for delivering such scenes.

JimmyTommy:
I absolutely adore Tommy's portrayal of a comical and jumpy character in a romance novel. His devastated, confused, and scared expressions were very entertaining and funny to see. Jimmy's portrayal of a more nonchalant character was nice, he fits playing a character who likes to tease. JimmyTommy/Mii2 is awesome for bromance or platonic relationships regarding their chemistry. However, I'd like to make their kiss scene at the last episode an exception. A bit shocking to see how they kissed after getting a fluff and simple impression of them.

ParkSeng:
Even though I'm not a fan of their plot together, I can't deny that they have a decent chemistry. They weren't given much to work with, but I wonder how they could've been if otherwise. Park could portray feeling flustered from having a junior being physically close to him, and Seng's eyes were glued to him well.

Others:
1. Max can act angry well, Nat also portrayed a cute younger character well
2. Perth (Zol) can naturally smile real good during her fangirling moments, it's a bit contagious
3. Cheer (Tongta) was only in the show for a bit, but her acting and delivery was on point! Such a pro
3. Poppy (Junior) is a memorable side character who can express wittiness very well with his voice, body movements, and face
4. Tonnam (Natee) acts as a funny and expressive character like a pro
5. Janistar (Hwa) acted her breakup scene with Fighter really well, specifically the heavy breathing

DISLIKES:
ZeeSaint:
When Fighter forced himself to Tutor's condo and Tutor himself, it was kind of awkward. It was too gentle for an assault, not sure if it's supposed to be this way signaling that maybe Tutor didn't try resisting and Fighter didn't want to be aggressive. Then, I know Fighter is supposed to be a colder character who isn't expressive to just anyone. But during the emotional scene when Fighter confronted Tutor at campus resulting in Fighter apologizing if he made him uncomfortable, his expressions were too bland. His lover was crying right in front of him yet he didn't express enough.

JimmyTommy:
Even though they're an equal main couple, it'd be better if they were a side couple in this series. I love it when they utilize their existing chemistry to act on playful moments and flirting, but maybe not deeper situations. Tommy seemed a bit awkward during happy/cute scenes, and Jimmy's facial expressions can be improved more. Their kiss scene at the last episode lacked a bit off a natural physical proximity. I can't help but compare it to ZeeSaint's scenes, but it's not a fair comparison to be honest. If I'm not wrong, either the director or acting coach mentioned how most actors here lacked experience except for Saint.

MaxNat:
Not a fan of their chemistry here, maybe their plot together also affected my opinion on their chemistry. They were fine individually as their own characters, but I don't see a 'them' from this series itself at all.

3. Music (9.5/10)
LIKES
This series has A LOT of OSTs, around 10. Not only they have many OSTs, but many BGMs were also provided. The BGMs weren't only modified melodies of their OSTs, but actual totally different ones. You know when you notice that a show keeps reusing the same songs for specific scenes? WHY R U doesn't noticeably do that. They don't only serve quantity, but also quality. I love how the 2 main couples have their own 'anthems', where it's:
How Many Reasons Make Me Love You? by Pantherist for SaifahZon, and
Is This Love? by Tom Isara for FighterTutor

DISLIKES
The only thing I hope could've been done was allocating the OSTs throughout the series better. Some of them were played way more than the others that I couldn't recognize some of the songs when trying to listen to it.

4. Rewatch Value (4.5/10)
Since this is review is based on a rewatch, that says something about it. But I doubt I'll rewatch this show again, I was just feeling nostalgic. This show attempted to make almost every character end up with someone, this made the show feel forced at those parts. But if you remove scenes that don't necessarily add anything to the plot like the side characters who are almost completely unrelated to the main plot, I'd rewatch it. However, I wouldn't judge a show based on its rewatch value. Some shows are simply more fit to be rewatched by me (short stories, or mystery thriller genre).

4 years ago, I was still new to the BL world and preferred a more gentle couple like SaifahZon. I guess now I like couples with a deeper visible bond together, my heart is now on FighterTutor. Overall, If the only couple here was FighterTutor there's a high chance I'd rate this series a 9.5/10 .I really miss ZeeSaint together as well as JimmyTommy.

Read More

This is actually a decent BL story, only because of Fighter and Tutor. Their story line was a bit more complex than the average one but not totally unique. Their personality and interactions, however, is what made them a perfect match. While they are in school and still have to figure out who they are, they actually help each other to understand each other without forcing anyone to be anything that they are not ready to be. The "will they, won't they" nature of their relationship had me guessing throughout the entire series, which kept me engaged and the relationship felt quite natural. It wasn't rushed, nor filled with numerous cliches.
Saifah and Zon were also a beautiful side couple, their relationship was so innocent and light. Their build up was also well paced and didn't feel rushed. The thing I liked most is the innocence of their relationship, because they were just friends that had to cross paths a lot. Friendly and courteous but still had some fight in them to resist each other.

Their were some rubbish people in this series that invaded people privacy and it was never addressed, but they were minor. One of my biggest pet peeves is that writers seem to think that every guys response to rejection is to try and force themselves onto someone. Please stop that rubbish, that IS NOT a natural response for normal people. Anger and even rage maybe a better response, but they don't turn into rapist.

Read More

It’s a pretty good one to watch, even with the flaws it has….

I can’t say this is one of my faves, but it’s a pretty good one to watch, even with the flaws it has….

Zee (Fighter) and Saint (Tutor) made it worth the watch, oh lets not forget Tommy (Zon). I just love Zee, and no not just because he is hot, he is a great actor, the way he shows just the right amount of smile, the look in his eyes shows so much he doesn’t always have to talk… all around his facial expressions are just great, he doesn’t over do them and knows what is needed at the time.
Saint did very well with his acting as well, first time seeing him, and he is a very good actor, he worked well with Zee, after seeing him in this, I will check out more of his films now that I have seem him act. ?
Tommy did good as well, can’t complain, I have to say his charter in the show was just so cute. ? With his overreactions at times was just sooo… I donno the right word, but they were natural when he did them, he did a great job acting in this. He was just so cute, can’t say anything bad about him. ?

Read More

I Wanted To Like It, But...

This is a drama that had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat. Whether that was due to Covid, uncertainty of the writers, or something else, who knows. The show had a lot of great parts but, unfortunately, even more not so great parts. The pacing in particular left a lot to be desired.

Pros:
- I'm not typically wowed by the acting in BLs. Most of the actors seem very green and their flaws and lack of experience can be painfully obvious. Not so here. Saint and Zee in particular were fantastic. Their chemistry with each other was on point and their acting as individuals was also fantastic. Zee in particular was a master of the microexpression, those minute facial expressions that express so much. He also conveyed a lot of his character's emotions with just his eyes. There's a lot to be said for actors who have the ability to carry a story with more than just dialogue and he nailed it. And Saint was right there with him. He has great expression and manages to convey a great deal with just a simple look. Huge kudos to both of them for their superb acting.
Tommy was also good in a completely different way. While Zee and Saint have what I would consider more understate acting styles, Tommy was more over the top, dramatic expressions which actually worked quite well without being too cheesy or theatrical. I especially appreciated his range as the drama progressed and his relationship with Saifah progressed. His performance became more nuanced and it was his more subtle and understated expressions that really made his character appeal to me.
Jimmy was obviously the greenest of the actors and it showed, especially because his fellow castmates were so good. Absolutely nothing against him, he did a great job all things considered, he just wasn't quite as expressive or consistent as his costars, but it was an excellent first effort and I'm sure he'll continue to grow as an actor.
- Thai BL dramas in particular seem to have an issue with consent which I take issue with it to a strong degree. I was extremely impressed with how that was handled in this drama because aside from one scene, there is no doubt that both parties are consenting whether it be kissing or having sex. And that was truly fantastic to see, the respect that both couples had for each other, the way space was given when it was needed, and how, for the most part, they communicated. There is one scene later in the drama that lacks consent. While I understand what was trying to be conveyed and how emotionally unstable both characters were at the time, it's a hard scene to watch and I don't think it was necessary to take it as far as they did. Does it do a good job of emphasizing just how badly the characters were doing? Yes, but again, I think there are other ways that scene could have played out. Still it is worth it to note that that is the only scene where consent is lacking.
Of the two main romances, Fighter and Tutor are my favorite simply because theirs seemed to be the most organic and best developed. I will reiterate that the pacing was god awful at times in this drama, but theirs had the most logical progression. Their push and pull of will they, won't they was well done, the emotional conflict they each experienced and how they handled it was shown well, again a testament to the actors and their skills. I will say that parts of their story were a obvious and a bit cliche, it was pretty clear what the main conflict of their relationship would be, but I still thought it was played out pretty well.
Zon and Saifah were very different and that difference created a nice contrast between the two romances. However, their romance took a back burner at times and as such, it felt more choppy and less like a steady progression from enemies to lovers. Zon's progression especially was all over the place and more scenes showing how he got from point A to point B would have helped a lot with keeping me engaged in his and Saifah's story as well as feeling less whiplashed from his constantly changing mood.
- As with pretty much every BL drama I've watched the OST was perfect and I very much enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed this one though because there was more variety. Most BLs seem to use a couple of songs on repeat which I generally don't mind because I like them, but I felt like this drama used more songs and they used them well.
- Most BL dramas have a parent or someone who is some level of homophobic and that rarely gets addressed or called out. There is one particular scene in this drama though where it is addressed and honestly that one scene made watching the drama worth it because the dialogue was so perfect. In short, it is emphasized that love is love and that being in a straight relationship does not guarantee a lasting relationship. This is reiterated at other points, but that one scene was done so well, I loved it.

Cons:
- Thai BL dramas seem to have a tendency to have an overinflated cast. There are a huge number of characters that pop in and out of the drama and its impossible to keep track of them and who they are and why you should care about them. With that comes the issue of too many couples. By my count, this drama had a total of six to seven different couples. That is far too many for basically any drama much less a thirteen episode one. There's no proper progression or conclusion to these relationships, but they give you just enough of a glimpse to tantalize you and want more which they don't give. I find that frustrating because I found two of the couples to be quite cute and I would have liked more of them, but didn't get that obviously.
- This was honestly probably the biggest issue for me. It was so confusing you just kind of had to go with it. But truly you have no sense of how much time has passed between the beginning and end of the drama much less between various events. It all just kind of blurs together eventually. I already mentioned most of the issues I had with it above so I'll leave it at that.
- Most Asian dramas like to make use of various sound effects, typically for comedic effect. I have no issue with those and when properly used they can be amusing and add to a scene. They were massively overused though in this drama to the point that they just got to be distracting and annoying. Moderation is key.
- The latter half of the drama got to be very repetitive. Lots of flashbacks and musical montages that really weren't necessary and just dragged on as well as multiple shots of the same scene from various angles. I'm going to chalk this up to Covid because the first part of drama did not have that same issue.

Overall, it was an enjoyable drama with some very high points as well as some very low points. Is it one I'm likely to go back and re-watch? Probably not, but it was fun to watch in the moment. I will again say it had a very strong lead couple in Tutor and Fighter and they honestly made the whole thing worth it.

Read More

It’s supposed to be a bunch of BL tropes

Overall I enjoyed Why R U. The series is supposed to feel like it’s a BL story come to life, in the world of the characters, so here’s A LOT of clichés. Like: enemies to lovers, homophobic dad, engineering students, rich guy falls in love with poor guy, the cool sister, the shippers…

I feel like those clichés are an integral that part of the show, so they have to exist for the story to move. It’s also interesting how the show shifts from cheesy romantic scenes to steamy hookup sequences, just like in an actual fanfiction story. I'd say that Why R U could be a good BL to recommend to someone that has never seen any BL, since it has so many of the popular tropes and styles in one place. So you get a taste of everything.

I liked the characters and the cast. But I feel like the amount of secondary couples and side characters takes up too much time. And in the end we don’t get much development from them. It just looks like everyone is paired up. There’s not much of a story to be honest, it’s basically just the process of the couples getting together.

Read More

Definitely a guilty pleasure BL

Definitely my guilty pleasure?

Tutor & Fighter were my babies?

BL has a tendency to make their innocent character almost childlike so I appreciated that Tutor's character was not given that treatment. He was more "innocent" while still feeling like an actual varsity student and as mature as someone his age should be.

I liked the main couple but Tutor & Fighter really stole the show for me. Their chemistry, relationship dynamic and love story was well done even with Covid messing up what was supposed to be the original storyline giving them more screen time than was initially planned since they filmed their scenes first.

Read More

Forgettable

**Brief Synopsis**
B (student): Zon
T (student): Saifah

- Beginning: B is a normal student with a novel writing hobby. However his novels aren’t really good. His life is normal until he learns about BL from his sister and the fact that people at school ship him and T. He’s naturally confused and annoyed, because he finds everything about T to be annoying as hell. T is his rival, someone he always fights with every time they meet. But for some reason he keeps having dreams about being a couple with T and he keeps seeing gay couples every where, making him start doubting his own sexuality. He keeps thinking homoerotic thoughts regarding T. He thinks it’s because his sister made a vow for his BL novel to come to life and that vow was coming true.

- Middle: He tries everything to avoid his fate but despite his best efforts, T starts appearing more and more in his vicinity, constantly teasing him. And little by little, B starts softening up to T, no longer yelling at him every time he sees him. He even invites him to his room. But the more time he spends with, the more he overthinks, over analyzing every of T’s actions and comparing them to his sister’s novel. Normal actions such as helping a friend dry his hair becomes romantic in his mind. He tries to run of course, but the more he tries to run, the more T wants to tease him, such as jokingly telling him they slept together when nothing happened. And slowly, B starts to get used to T’s actions, starting falling for T.

- End: The series ends with them starting to date and promising each other they won’t break up.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
- The actors look really good together. They are really funny together. Their interactions are adorable.
- I love how B keeps overthinking everything and comparing each action to what usually appear in BL novels, basically convincing himself he was in a BL novel and he was going to end up sleeping with T. This is such a novel way of falling in love. No matter how much he resists, nothing will change. It’s adorable how he thinks he can prevent his relationship with T from going further. It’s not made easy by the fact that the more he tries to run, the cuter T finds him and the more he wants to tease him.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- The acting isn’t good. Scenes outside romance just feel plain and off. The characters don’t act like normal people (their movements and reactions seems exaggerated) and when they show emotions such as anger, it is not believable.
- The editing is really not my cup of tea. There are cheesy music and unnecessary sound effects to everything, making certain scenes look exaggerated.
- The cliche and predictable plot. Outside romance related stuff, there really isn’t a plot. Nothing happens really to the main couple. The secondary couple seems to have more of a plot but I wasn’t interested in them.
- There aren’t many intimate scenes for the main couple. The side couple does have some.

**Conclusion**
This is an okay watch that I won’t revisit.

Read More

UNBALANCED MAIN STORIES

There are two main couples here, Fighter-Tutor and Zon-Saifah. Initially, I thought that I would like more the Zon-Saifah but I am really disappointed about how cringey their plot is. It seems that their story was already planned by the writer to be light and common. For the other couple, the writer did a full 180. Fighter-Tutor's love development is captivating and interesting.

All casts are really good in acting. BUT, there are too many characters here that are not needed actually especially the college friends.

Should I mention how unfitting the love stories of their friends?
1. Dew-Blue-Champ??? Is it just to add more couples in the series? Non-sense and too much exposure. But, Nat (Blue) is the cutest Thai actor I've seen so far in my whole life. He looks like a puppy.
2. Japan-Tanthai??? I found their scenes the definition of 'cuteness overload and I love it' though but what is their impact to the storyline???
3. Natee-Zol-Zen??? Why would they have been given time exposure for nothing? What happened after Zol gave Zen his backup phone??
4. Hwahwa-Day. This is quite necessary so I don't have problem with it.

Special mention for,
1. Kae. I like how they made him put in a situation where he needed to speak up for the LGBTQ.
2. Tharn-Type. Actually, I just finished watching their series a week ago. Watching them here is refreshing and funny.

Let's get back to the main couples...
1. Fighter-Tutor. Whenever I see Zee (Fighter), I always get annoyed. I don't know for sure what it is but I dislike him for no reason. But watching him together with Saint (Tutor) makes me less annoyed. They have appealing chemistry. But, their kissing scenes are too many to count. They shouldn't have given them kissing scenes in every place at the beach resort. That's too much if you will ask me.
2. Zon-Saifah. Although I am disappointed about how their relationship started, their chemistry from the middle to the end is very cute and cheesy. That's the only the positive remarks that I would give to them.

This is WATCHABLE but there are too many flaws to skip.

Read More

Don't hate me...

I am not a fan of Saint. I've tried, honestly. I'm not being sarcastic or ugly...there are actors you don't like as well. So, Fighter/Tutor was distracting and uninteresting. I probably would have enjoyed their story if someone else was in Saint's roll. It's not just this drama but when he was cast along with Perth...I thought Perth was amazing and Saint wasn't. This is just my opinion as reviews are supposed to be.

So you don't hate me too much...I adored the cafe owner! His role (and his acting) was spot on and I loved every time he was on screen.

However, SaifahZon stole the show or redeemed this series for me. I'm thankful for the spinoff that had them as the center of attention.

Read More

Was fun to watch

Jimmy is like a very giant teddy bear!

You know that the main couple's relationship is gonna be 99% sex 1 percent plot when you see the TharnType and Make It Right cameos, but at least they only got together in the second half of the drama so we at least had some actual "plot" in the beginning, ofc the rest is gonna be an endless honeymoon where they act like they haven't seen each other in years after 24 hours of breakup.

I noticed they carried on a theme that was done in the sequel of TharnType called "Don't say no," where the main leads let the necklace go in their mouth when they kiss, which they did with the main couple here too

The leads like to take turns teasing each other. They have a very good chemistry.

Anyways this drama was entertaining. You get two very different types of romance with a different pacing as well.

Funny when it actually turned into soup opera after one of the characters said "why are you acting like you're in a soup opera?" LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Read More

its meh

Story [5.0/10] - There's really nothing special about Why R U's story tbh. I guess the whole "They live in a fanfic" plot for Zon and Saifah was alright but it wasn't enough and for Tutor and Fighter they had like the "Rich and broke" trope, I honestly love those kind of stories but just the way how they played everything out was just not that great.

Acting/Cast [8.0/10] - I really love Saint and Zee, they have such an amazing chemistry. Their acting was great but the story was just not that good but they still managed to make me cry :,D Next is Zon and Saifah hmmm I really did not like them that much, I skipped every scene they had together sorry.

Music [3.0/10] - bad

Re-watch value [3.0/10] - I can't re-watch this huhu

Overall [6.0/10] - Who R U is the first Thai BL I've watched, it wasn't the best honestly but SaintZee is the reason that made me watch Thai BLs

Read More