Bad Buddy (2021)

Just the best BL you will find out there. Why? Because it's healthy, it's well written, the actors actually has good chemistry and, the most important, it was made for us, the LGBTQ community. It has no stereotype, no "i don't like men, i only like you" bullshit, no internalized homophobia and no commercial soft porn. It's not for straight cis girls to feed their fetish, it's a lovely, romantic story for US, the LGBTQ. We can't say it about a lot of other BLs. People will probably say "oh, but BL it's made from women to women" like they are oh so right. But not this story, no. In here there's zero heteronormativity. There's no dude saying shit like "you will be my wife" or "let me touch your boobs". There's no r*ape being normalized and romanticized. There's no "strong" guy and "weak" guy. The director and his team took every bad trope that exist in the BL industry and threw it in the garbage. He did an amazing job. He said "fuck off" to all that bad stuff and created a good rom-com. He took the enemies to lovers trope and made it HEALTHY (and that was never made right in this industry before)! He took an actor who never played BL before and made him feel comfortable. There's not even one awkward scene between the actors. They being friends (the main couple) it could've go in the completely wrong direction, but it did't. It's comfortable to watch. Their performance is believable and lovely. This series is a breath of fresh air. It took bad BL tropes and made it good. I don't believe nothing will ever surpass it, but this director maybe can surprise us again.

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It has the making to be one of the better, if not the best BL series.

Let's be honest here, this show is not going to win any award anytime soon - the plot is not new, it's another one of those university-themed BL series that is already a little bit of a cliche in itself. An enemy-turned-to-lover slightly diluted Romeo & Juliet story so common in a lot of Thai dramas. However, they have proven that even the simplest story can be great with proper execution. It's like they took note of all the bad comments from all the other series and aspired to make it better - even promised not to fall in the trap of those tiring BL tropes.

There is no "I'm straight but I only like you"; they made fun and tackled the wife and hubby misconceptions; they made the parents (and friends) cool about their preferences; the main couple even fooled the parents (or so they thought) into thinking they did what they wanted them to do but instead they're really just following their hearts. What made me appreciate it, even more, is their positive depiction of a same-sex relationship, and how it is so relatable in real life.

What about the cast? Ohm and Nanon's chemistry is off the charts they set the bar so high it will be difficult to watch any other series without comparing it to their performance. These are actors who genuinely look like they're enjoying doing the show and not just doing it for fan service. GMMTV should be lining up projects for Ohm and Nanon, sooner rather than later, and as partners. This couple deserves to be in the pantheon at the same level as the original BL trinity.

The show isn't perfect - we hated how Pran and Pat were outed by a supposed friend, which thankfully was resolved in one episode and we still ended up forgiving Wai. I also felt like the tension between the parents doesn't justify the family feud. Do I need the mention the product placements? Thankfully the shows' strengths canceled out all the negatives.

I also need to mention that satisfying ending, where they tied everything perfectly, albeit leaving a little chance for a second season.

A special nod should also be given to Backaof Noppharnach's direction and his partnership with his screenwriting team. Although I'm not a big fan of My Dear Loser, he saved the Together series with the much better Still Together, then gave us A Tale of a Thousand Stars, and now this! I am now a bonafide fan, and I'm looking forward to his future works.

Also, I have to mention how great the OST is.

Rewatch value is 10, and yes I've watched each episode a few times. Overall, it's a 9.5.

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The best BL drama out there!

I have always avoided BL dramas. The only BL watched in my life was The Untamed because BL wasn't it's main theme. After seeing many good comments and the high rating, at last, I decided to start my first Thai and fully BL concentrated drama - Bad Buddy.

The main reason why I avoided BLs was that I feel that it is toxic. There will be many odious scenes and dialogues. But, after watching this, I reaslised there can be healthy BLs too. I have never seen any BL like this before. So cute, well written, has good lead chemistry, and overall, it's HEALTHY. It kept on getting better and better from beginning to end.

This drama is based on the Thai novel Behind The Scenes by Afterday and -West-. As you have read in the synopsis, this is a shory about two boys, who were forced to be rivals because of their family problems. They had to compete against each other for almost everything. As they grew tired, they became really good friends and then, without even realising, lovers.
Although primarily looking like a comedy drama, it becomes an emotional roller coaster and takes us through all kinds of emotions including happiness, anger, surprise and sadness.

As this is my first Thai drama, I was utterly unfamiliar with the cast. But, this problem didn't last for long. In the first episode itself, I concluded that I am watching a drama with amazing actors.
Nanon Korapat Kirdpan (I still don't know how to say the name) plays Parakul, nicknamed Pran, a neat and tidy perfectionist who always loses his earphones (lol) and Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee plays the masculine Narpat, nicknamed Pat, who is an impulsive, cheeky guy. They nailed their characters very well that it was very convincing and lovely. Their relation was a kind of love/hate relation at first and they had good chemistry between them. Their kisses were awsome. I have never seen any kiss so pure and true in any BL.
And about the supporting characters. I must say Pa and Ink make an amazing pair. Also the actors who played Pat and Pran's friends also did an amazing job.

The music is nice. I especially liked the songs sung by Nanon himself, 'Just Friends?'. I really liked the lyrics of the songs that implied the relation between Pat and Pran from friends to lovers.
Top soundtracks :
Just Friend? แค่เพื่อนมั้ง by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan
Secret (Won't Tell Anyone That You Like Me First) จะไม่บอกใครละกันว่าเธอชอบฉันก่อน by Kacha Nontanun
Our Song เพลงที่เพิ่งเขียนจบ by Nanon Korapat Kirdpan

The rewatch value is very high, which is rare for any dramas. I will certainly rewatch this drama at any point of time in the future. This is an ideal watch at depressing times. Pran and Pat will help us to relieve our stress with their cuteness.

As I said, I don't ususally watch BLs, particularly the ones with intimate scenes and kisses. I am glad that I did not avoid this one. Bad Buddy is a unique BL production that would change the perspective of BL series. I really appreciate all the cast and crew members who contributed in producing such a fine work.

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Alright,
This is my first review of a series in months and boy, am I happy that it is with Bad Buddy, that was the perfect reintroduction into the world of BLs I took an unexpected break after Manner of Death. I felt a lot of things while I watched Bad Buddy, so I would break down my review into parts. To the best of my abilities, I would avoid giving you any spoilers in this review.
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes, Specific Issues
3. Story arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value

INTRODUCTION
When I heard about Bad Buddy, I was excited because of Ohm and Nannon, I mean you could give them the most basic story possible, and I would still love the show because I like that much. But however Bad Buddy really came from west field to become one of GMM’s best BLs ever, competing with the best of them all (they for certain have one of the best GMM kisses hands down, I mean episode 5 kiss was top tier). In a lot of places, the storyline stayed safe and a little bit basic, but this did not take away from the overall enjoyability of the series in the least bit, heck I think it enhanced it further.
Coming into Bad Buddy, expect a lighthearted series, with a lot of fluffiness and cute flirting, a little bit of irritation from side characters (Wai walks in) and surprisingly, girls love side theme, which I very much loved about the show. But what stuck with me the most was how this series tackled stereotypes, I would handle this more under my general review, but I would just say this is what you get when a queer person directs a show, you get actual good content not based on exaggerated stereotypes. An example of this is the fact that Pran was the top in this relationship, I mean even I as a gay person lowkey started to fall into that stereotype of what a top should look like or be like.
So Bad Buddy really is that series that hit a lot of the right cords with me. Into the review we move now.

GENERAL REVIEW, THEMES, SPECIFIC ISSUES
1. Tackling Stereotype: I absolutely loved how bad buddy came for Thai BLs necks in this series, like they brought all their legs over fire, and I think that was one of the major themes of this series that it tackles so many stereotypes.
a. “I AM NOT GAY, I LIKE ONLY YOU”: You know in previous Thai BL series, it has always somehow seemed like they were scared to say the words “I am gay”, which Pat and Pa make fun of it in the episode where it became public that they were together. Not only did they acknowledge Bisexuality as a legit orientation, not that you just randomly fall in love with that one guy and no one else. They also introduced the possibility of Pran being gay, simple, and short. I love that because that is something GMM has lost me on for the past few years, like YOU CAN JUST SAY THEY ARE GAY OR BISEXUAL, IT WOULDN’T HURT YOU
b. “HUSBAND AND WIFE”: I love that they also addressed how weird it is that Thai BLs over the past few years have insisted on having this tag this is my “wife”, to refer to the person who is more likely to be the bottom (TharnType, I see you). When Pran called out Pat to realize how stupid it was to say “wife” and “husband” in a gay relationship, try to make a gay relationship heteronormative doesn’t make sense.
c. Another stereotype they handled, that ironically, I felt into this too, was the concept of a clear identified bottom and top in a gay relationship based on some physical traits and qualities. I wouldn’t lie it reminded me that we cannot just assume who the top in relationship and we fall into a dangerous pattern of profiling the LGBT+ community should be against as a community
2. The kisses and Fluffiness: if you have watched Bad Buddy then you would know that they now hold the crown for the best GMMTV kiss and now ranks in the upper echelon of BL kisses alongside MaxTul, TharnType, KinnPorsche, The History Franchise and My Day. I mean so many things about the series was right, but nothing gets me better than a kiss well executed, not disgusting, not looking like they were afraid to kiss or anything like that. So, they got me there
3. Shoving Ohm’s/Pat’s Package in our faces: why did I make this more than once????? and at that point it was becoming a pattern and thus a theme. Like I am a hundred percent certain that someone in production intentionally did this, probably thought to themselves to rile up the fans a little bit. And I mean we are ever grateful for it, in the most non-perverted way possible
4. Social Media: So, this was not so much a major theme, but I loved a part of the series where Pat kept posting secret pictures of him and Pran, when Pran asked him, he was like “social media is for bragging”, I liked this because it kind off addresses a lot of the flaws that our society has come to be especially in the era of social media. But like I said this wasn’t a major theme, just something I noted on the side.
5. FRIENDSHIP: You know I got two contrasts of friendship in this show. The first were Pat’s friendship in this show, I mean there were Pat’s friends, especially Korn who were the ideal idea of what a friend should be, he was cool when everything came out about Pat and Pran, supported them and everything. Wai on the other hand is a plain b*tch about it, I mean outing your friend, I don’t care how angry you are, you don’t just do somethings.
On a closure of general review, I liked all the components that came together to make this show, I don’t think it could have been any better this.

STORY ARC AND STORYLINES
I liked the trajectory of this show, they didn’t waste time on some areas in terms giving us unnecessary scenes. What we basically get is two boys who have been trained to hate each other right from birth, overcome tons of obstacles and find their way towards each other. They show us that love is something you can control, it could be towards even your worst of enemies. The story is one of love, fluffiness, overcoming obstacles to be together.
The story had a few lessons like
1. We don’t and we can never control who we love, either in terms of sexual orientation or the person themselves. It really is an uncontrollable phenomenon of nature
2. The way we interact with our friends really matters. Because it can really make or break a person. An example is the fact no one in their friend group picked up that they were dating
I loved the story overall

CHARACTERS, CASTING AND ACTING
I love the characters, while they were core characters that make up the entire story, I love how they tried their best to give each character a little bit of something, they did not always succeed but it was great though, I love that they had 3D characters, no caricatures of characters though I wish they did more with some characters.
Alright I would take this character by character and how well I believe the casting fit and I would start in order of how well I liked the character.
The character I love the most was Korn, that man gave me so much joy, like he was so stupid and supportive, I loved him every bit for it. If we are being honest, we all know that Korn was the Captain of PranPat ship and no one will take it from him. Like I love that Drake was casted for this because I have come to realize it seems Drake always kills it as a side character. In this show he particularly brought out the essence of Korn. He was simply my overall favorite character, the part he particularly sold me was after he was an ass to Pat for dating Pran and didn’t allow Pat stay with them, when he brought food for Pat, I thought to myself, what a loveable fool?❤️?❤️?❤️
Then Pat was next. I absolutely loved Ohm as Pat, I mean Pat is somehow dense and foolish, he moves with the flow (case in point how fast he accepted that he was in love with Pran) but he always had good intentions (him willing to pretend he broke with Pran so that Wai would talk to Wai again, I mean if that is not the epitome of love). Pat’s character was executed so well I absolutely loved it,
Then there was Pran, I don’t think I need to say much under Pran, except he gave us all the perfect vibes of Tsundere, a tsundere that was always in love with the other person. You know I loved that Nannon could capture all the emotions Pran was feeling in his eyes, which basically made his acting and character all the much better for me. He gave me the conflict of love but understanding the societal position they had and trying to create a balance between the two.
PaInk, it was nice to get a girls love theme in this. I mean I came to this for the BL, but who am I to say no to a good GL side story.
WAI…. NEVER IN MY HISTORY OF WATCHING BL HAS A CHARACTER MADE ME AS MAD ABOUT THEIR EXISTENCE LIKE WAI… LIKE DUDE WAS SO ANNOYING AND HE KEPT OVERDOING IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOST IT WHEN HE OUTED THEM, LIKE WHAT???????????????? I DON’T CARE WHAT PRAN DID TO YOU, EXCEPT HE KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO OUT HIM, HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL YOURSELF HIS BESTFRIEND???? You know what, I don’t want to say anything further on Wai.
The friends and Parents, honestly, I was lowkey indifferent about them. I just felt they were all childish.
I think overall, the core 5 or 6 characters showed a little bit of depth, that they were thought out to some extents and to make us understand that humans are complex 3 dimensional people, we dong just fit into a one for all box... Though I wish they did more with side characters sometimes but it's fine

MISSES
I want to say Bad Buddy had no misses but one thing I was confused about, was the concept that their seniors in Architecture and Engineering asked them to boycott their friends just because they were dating someone from a different faculty. I mean the math was not mathing for me.
But there was no miss to this show that was detrimental though.

PRODUCTION
The production and direction of this was awesome to me, the fact that it didn’t feel rushed or forced at any point in time. I loved that about the show . The Pacing was generally okay, so I do not seriously have any issues with them.


REWATCH VALUE
I WOULD ABSOULTELY REWATCH THIS… EVEN TODAY


OVERALL
This was a series that was made with a purpose and they executed perfectly I am so grateful to everyone who was a part of this movement because you truly took us on a beautiful journey, one I would never forget, you made me care for people, made me happy, made me laugh, cry with someone in their pain if that is not arts at its best I don’t know what is.

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Bad Buddy is the BL drama that WILL END ALL BL DRAMAS!!!

ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, this is the BL drama that will end all BL dramas – PERIOD! No one or not everybody will agree with me but if you look again closely at all those previous (and watch future) “popular” BL dramas and compare them with Bad Buddy, you can tell the difference (truly no offense meant to the fans of other BL dramas). I thought Dark Blue Kiss was my all-time favorite UNTIL I watched Bad Buddy. Bad Buddy is unique by all accounts and I will not elaborate this because if you are truly a Bad Buddy fan, you know what I am referring to.

You can start combing through any discussion threads/comments/etc. (in all social media) about Bad Buddy and 99% of all the comments are in unison having the same voices and sentiments THAT... (1) You can’t or don’t need to watch another BL drama after watching Bad Buddy because it will be very difficult for you to move one AND (2) You will need another BL drama that is “better” than Bad Buddy before you can get over Bad Buddy drama, but it’s highly unlikely. Bad Buddy drama has set the bar so high that you will not watch any other BL drama if its not as good as (or better than) Bad Buddy!

It might be too early to consider Bad Buddy drama as PEERLESS, but it will be!!!

All our lives, we thought the best things that Fridays can give us are rest and enjoyment (after studying or working hard) BUT Bad Buddy has totally, immensely, and overwhelmingly changed that!!!! Fridays will never be the same again after watching Bad Buddy drama!!!!!!!

Watching Bad Buddy is a marvelous way to end 2021 and start 2022…

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This series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more..

Bad buddy as the title goes it's about two individuals not exactly buddies but well they were kind of buddies in high school just that they didn't actually put a label on it. So anyway two buddies separated for three damn years, due to the rivalry between their parents, cross each others path yet again in university and that's where everything begins. It might seem like those dramas of typical high school setting at first but honestly it isn't. It is much more than that and better in every way.

"From two people who shouldn't be friends to two people who cannot be just friends anymore." trope done right. It's a basic plot done so right that it's too mesmerising.

And let me tell you this series is breaking stereotypes and I love it so much more for that. Especially the wife thing. They are clearly both husbands. Why use wife? This series voicing this out feels great. And them saying I don't mind the gender instead of I only like him. Now that's how it should be voiced out. Being gay, bi or pan isn't wrong. Some series overusing the sentence 'I only like him' low-key tells how they disgust the idea of loving men being men. But well bad buddy broke that stereotype too.

In the begining of the series many complained that the fights were not realistic but no, it's realistic. As someone who has been a witness to such petty gang fights, I know it happens. The whole college might not be aware of it but those who are aware pretty much know how those fights are and sometimes even how childish the reasons for the fights are especially in such an age group. So it's not exaggerating.

The series is everything I ever wanted to see and so much more. It just keeps getting better and better and the actors make it so much more better. Pat and Pran have the best chemistry out there.

This series makes my heart leap up with joy and then again it does not fail to inflict my heart with stinging pain. Definitely recommending this series.

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The best thing to happen in a BL industry

If I could, I would give this show 10000 stars, but MDL only allows me to give it 10. It's worth much more. Beyond more, and nothing would be enough.

I have to say, I started watching this show from the first episode just for fun, not expecting much. I expected a cute, enemies to lovers storyline, something to kill time. Instead, I got more - so, so much more. Maybe I'm still a little bit too overwhelmed to put all my feelings into words, and that is because this show is it for me. It does everything right, from head to toe. And just when you think it's going to fall under your typical BL tropes; it doesn't. Instead, it fights them, even subtly makes fun of them at some point, and it's just so, so wonderful to watch, from start to finish.

First off, the plot.

It might seem very basic at first. It might seem like you know exactly where it's going to go and where it's going to take you. But the thing with Bad Buddy is, it took a basic plot, and turned it upside down. The basic enemies to lovers trope suddenly became so much more, and oh, look! They aren't really enemies, they aren't really friends either. But they are something . Then we have their parents who absolutely despise each other. And again, we think we know the story here, thinking it's something cliché. We hate on Pran's mother, thinking she's just a crazy hysterical woman, when, in fact, there's so, so much more depth to that whole plot and her hatred towards Pat's father, it leaves you astonished. Now? I want to give that woman the world.

Second off, the characters. Because I can't write anything else without mentioning the superiority of the characters.

Pat and Pran. What a perfect, absolutely stunning match. You can say whatever you want, but those two are just a perfect couple, played by superb actors with the chemistry that's out of this world. These two... they have drama happening around them. So, so much drama, never having a moment of calmness. But them? No, they are complete opposite. They are a steady, sure thing, not letting the drama around them affect their relationship at all. If everything around them is chaos and drama, they are a calm breeze keeping everything at bay. Sure, there are times where they get shaken up a bit and their relationship goes through small trials, but they resolve it quickly, with COMMUNICATION, and understanding and care for one another.

But you know what they refuse to let it affect their relationship? It's the biggest trial - their parents, and everyone around them who don't want them to be together. Breaking up looks like a typical, logical thing to do, to make things easier for everyone. But do they do that though? No, they don't. Instead, they find a way to still be together, to ease up their parents to the idea, even when things didn't look so bright. This is exactly why I never doubted them and didn't for a second thing that they broke up. That preview was a bust and it was obvious. It wouldn't be Pat and Pran if that happened.

Another wonderful fact about them is, they've been officially together from episode 7 till the end of the series, which is RARE. It's so rare to see a BL do that, and I am SO over the moon they did because it's the least they deserve. OhmNanon delivered their characters perfectly and I honestly cannot see anyone else doing it better than them. It's so refreshing to see how genuine they are and how it looks as if they seriously enjoy acting together and have a blast. It shows, it truly shows throughout the whole series.

Ink and Pa. What can I even say? I just want to thank the director for bringing such a nice, healthy, adorable GL relationship to a BL drama. It was such a nice surprise, I was doubting they were truly going to go with it till the very end, but I'm so glad they did. They also serve as a nice contrast to Pran and Pat, in a way where it's obvious that homophobia really isn't the main conflict as to why their parents don't want them together. It shows how their relationship could've been, if they weren't from the rivaled families. Even the dinner scene in the last episode, it's something Pran has imagined happening. Pat and Pran can't have that yet, while Ink and Pa can.

Hopefully, in the future, Pat's parents will call Pran their second son as well.

Korn and Wai. Listen. I am so glad, SO GLAD, we didn't get a typical "Oh, they are together as well!" Instead, they made them become good friends and colleagues, burying their old rivalry and deciding to do something together. It's nice. Even though I still didn't and don't forgive Wai for the way he outed Pat and Pran. That was a shitty and pathetic move and I'm glad he's become a better person since then, and I hope somewhere, behind the scenes, Pat and Pran got their much needed apology. However, he still didn't apologise in front of us, viewers, so I cannot really condone his actions. That being said, the complexity of his character plays a really important role in a better part of the series and I guess it's a good message. Each one of us makes some bad decisions, each on of us has prejudices that sometimes take over us. Not everyone is a good person. But everyone can change to a better, and do better. And I guess Wai kind of did that. Korn, though, Korn is a legend. Enough said.

Such tridimensional, well-written characters is what makes this BL what it is. If it weren't for that, it wouldn't be half as good. Characters make this story not basic, it makes it for what it is. God bless all of the characters, honestly.

Third off, music.

Goddammit, if I could sell my soul for Nanon's voice, I would. Bad Buddy incorporated music so, so well within the story, there is not one moment where it's awkward. I have three of my favourite scenes which are related to music. First is the one where Pat plays the xylophone, the second one is Pran singing Our Song in ep 11. Third one is in the last episode, where Pat and Pran are playing around, playing their songs, and their parents hearing them, and finally showing some kind of acceptance. Everything around them is related to music. Music plays such a huge part in their relationship. Music is what broke them, but it is also what mended them together. Even though Pran's mum took him away when he was playing music with Pat, years later she smiles and lets them have their music. Together.

There is so much more I could write about this wonderful series. I could talk about it for days and why I think it's as impactful and downright amazing as it is. I would strongly recommend everyone to watch it, although it did ruin other BLs for me and raised my standards even higher, but we're going to ignore that.

Thank you, Bad Buddy. Thank you, PatPran for making my fridays better. It was a wonderful journey.

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Bad Buddy related thoughts and sort of a review

When I first heard that Bad Buddy would be created, I was both excited and sceptical. Excited to see 'enemies to lovers' trope finally being played out and finally seeing Nanon in a BL series. Sceptical because I didn't know how much skinship with Nanon there would be and how it would be produced. Would we be only queerbaited into a bromance-style of a show? Should we lower our expectations?

And the first two episodes were like that. They were nicely done (GMM can produce quality shows like they're off the conveyor belt), but nothing too groundbreaking on how this would all play out.

All the way to the episode 4 when Pran's feelings were almost laid bare and Nanon's acting just peaked. And then we're getting the most ground breaking, emotionally investing, absolutely incredibly acted episode 5, which I've watched on repeat for 2 weeks straight. Which of background music I played when I was falling asleep. Which of I didn't need any translation of the dialogue because I knew that by heart. It just speaks volumes of the way "The Legendary Rooftop Scene" was played, how amazing actors Ohm and Nanon are. Later on we'd read that there were only 2 takes (crying and no crying) and that it was incredibly investing for the actors as well. Their hard work shows, because finishing this show, I still think of that rooftop scene and feel like we're all riding high from that and everything that was posted after it, was just a bonus.

This is a really simple story, as old as time, of lovers from two families that hate each other. You get this type of story IN EVERY SINGLE CULTURE. So does it stand out? Does it bring something extra to for example, world of BL?

It does. Even if you get this simple story with a bit predictable plot, the director P'Aof is not afraid of breaking the stereotypes and having important conversations about sexuality and prejudice that we really shouldn't be having anymore, that yet still perpetuate in other LGBT dramas. And I'm thankful for that.

And what he really does is to let his two stars, Ohm and Nanon shine and show off their acting skills. As we'd wait for the new episode, we'd read comments saying 'this scene was improvised by the actors', 'I just let them vibe in this scene and work it out by themselves' etc etc. At certain point it felt like 90% of PatPran scenes were improvised. And the chemistry between the two leads is incredible.

It feels that BB should be put in a manual on how to make a good BL series.

Story 8/10 (you've seen this before and you're gonna watch more of this again)
Acting 20/10 (opening OhmNanon temple)
Production 9/10 (few hiccups with editing and translation)
Music 10/10 (headphones are not enough, I want to inhale and exhale the music, I want to BE the rooftop music)
Rewatch value 10/10 (I've already rewatched it around 30 altogether, gonna rewatch some more just to feel something)
Overall 10/10 (because legally I can't give a higher score on this website)

And a shoutout to the BB comments section on MDL, especially D Rey, CyreneB, kru, hanabii, Mermaid, TheGORJUSMARSH and BenedictTan - thank you for your thoughts, support, replies etc. You made the experience of watching BB even better!!

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The actors mostly shine, the director shows talent, and there is sex appeal for a while, but...

Yes, Bad Buddy is good. Let's put that out there before I get attacked for not giving it straight 10s.

With that said, there are also some huge holes in its story, unneeded or unexplained awkward gaps in time, some poorly executed moments, and enough drawn-out product placement to question if it's an infomercial or a television show.

Sold and packaged as a Romeo and Juliet story, Bad Buddy, in-the-end, shares very little in common with the over-taught, and over idolized, tale. Yes the two main leads, Pat (A sexy and charismatic Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee) and Pran ( A Soft, cooing, emotional Nanon Korapat Kirdpan) come from warring families and friends that just refuse to get along. However, everything else in this series is its own and does not use anything more than this basic plot device to create the age old trope of enemies to friends. For a while you may be trying to decide who is who with all the side characters in play and maybe MOST importantly who is Romeo and who is Juliet, but the story never lends itself to those rigid character constructs (For our male/male leads this is a good thing and recognizes the differences in homosexual relationships) and the tale never allows any of these side characters, or main characters, story arcs to play out in any meaningful way, Thus, in the end it will be a fruitless endeavor with time better spent on not trying to match these characters up but to just toss the Shakespeare play you know away and watch the series as simply an Enemies to Friends story. (To be fair it IS adapted from a novel and not the age old play so this fits)

Our two main leads spend the first couple episodes lost in the chaos the story is trying to design around them and create a base of why these two just can't like each other or be together. Yes, you will get their introductions and a helping of some backstory (that stays muddled so future episodes can put it more into clear focus), but you will not really spend time with the leads in any truly meaningful way while this is happening. These beginning episodes are repetitive, long winded, and obnoxious with only some golden nuggets of moments for the audience to cling and see that their may be something worth staying for here. It was enough that the MDL rating dipped almost out of the 8's into the humdrum 7's at the time, and the director took to media to tell everyone to just sit tight and stay tuned that the show was about to leap forward.

So it was a rough start that mainly only the attractiveness of the stars and the rabid fan base kept afloat, not to mention the BL industry being so disrupted by Covid that most 2021 projects found themselves delayed or canceled and such Bad Buddy came along in an anorexic marketplace. Also, the music in these episodes is by far the best. Not only the theme song and the introduction to Nanon's single (Which I will say I liked) but the score of these episodes is a fun techno crunch of leftover 90's and early 2000's synth kits that are energetic and fun to hear. I missed them in the latter half of the series.

Trying to steer clear of spoilers, in broad strokes the center of the series, or middle episodes, explode into some great story telling, exceptional acting, truly emotional moments, and amazingly choreographed scenes that possibly may be considered meteoric and will be ensconced in the "Greatest Ever Moments" annals of BL fandom. Or ya know, maybe they won't. But, it is, in all honesty, this portion of the series that awards Bad Buddy with a rating in the 8s. What comes before it is very average 5-6 area. And what comes in the later episodes is much more 7-8 range. Meaning that if the middle hadn't been so incredibly strong this would probably only be a level 7 rated series at best.

Unfortunately, the creators cannot keep this momentum or strong storytelling going, and it all collapses into the heinous episode 7 which is set to restart the story in an ACT II design. Yes, it covers, or hides, the very poor writing under heaps of sexiness and flirtatious moments that had the fandom reeling and social media in overtime with edits and clips of these scintillating moments. But, these distractions were layered over an illogical time jump that makes the "game" the leads are playing seem to last for months of time off screen, while changing nothing of the actual story except to bring Pat's younger sister Pa into the University for a side plot. This jump comes out of nowhere and is awkward to watch and swallow. The fact that at least a1/4th of the episodes runtime (or one whole section since the episodes are delivered in 4 part installments) is taken up with product placements is shameful and cheapens the overall feel of the show. It is, by far, the largest disappointment the series comes to offer and its juxtaposed in an episode that highlights some of the great chemistry the main leads have with each other, which makes it one hell of a frustrating watch.

The ending of the series will finally follow the story lines built in the beginning episodes. One of the friends of one of our leads will do an unforgivable act. Long rivalries will be discovered but left unhealed or left in their toxic states. Pa, Pat's sister, (Played motherly and humble by Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn) comes to cement herself in the series as one of the MVP's along with (Head strong and kind Milk Pansa Vosbein) as a mutual friend to all in her wining role of Ink.

The final episode is, like many I have watched, both satisfying and disappointing. Overall, the series has always put their strongest moments and best parts of every episode mostly in the part 4/4, or end of each episode to get you to come back the following week. That is, for the most part, the beginning of each episode is throw-away that eventually grows into something of more importance by the end. In fact, it could almost be said that you could watch Bad Buddy as a series of part 4s and have a very strong almost level 10 viewing experience. That rings true even up through the final episode which starts off very awkwardly, again with a time jump that is mostly not needed plot-wise, but ends very winningly.

I will give this show the benefit of having some excellent chemistry, acting, and directing choices. While the end starts to feel more perfunctory, and as some have stated, Bromancy (With sexual acts inferred and talked about playfully, but never attempted to be shown in even a G-Rated way and kissing moves more to cheek territory, and you just start to feel like you are watching best friends play around with each other) at one time it was palpable and exhilarating with some truly strong moments. Nanon and Ohm show they are a head of the pack in their acting chops and capabilities than most Thai BL's casts while Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok as Wei gives a star making performance (Already with a new show for 2022 announced). Bad Buddy brings a lot of goods. But it only hints and has moments of Greatness, its own story the weakest part of production and dragging it down. But boy how moments of greatness can elevate an otherwise average encounter into something noteworthy. Bad Buddy could be a case study.

8.0 = B+, 4-Stars. A solid all around entry that will likely not disappoint.

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Well written romance with questionable friendships.

One of the most wholesome friends to enemies to friends to lovers scenario I have seen. I believed in everything that happened between Pran and Pat. The chemistry might not have been sizzling from the start, but it was undeniable and extremely natural as the plot progressed. Both Nanon and Ohm did an amazing job portraying actual emotions and love, instead of simple attraction.

That said, almost everything that surrounded the romance was mediocre at best, and bad at worst. The friend groups were ridiculous. It was not just teens disliking each other - we had harassment and abuse that could not be explained by them being young. The parents were just as immature and selfish, which led to a number of problems for the main duo.

Luckily, a lot of scenes were saved thanks to the female characters Pa and Ink, who seemed to be the only people with some brain cells and willing to use them.

Bad Buddy was carried on Nanon and Ohm’s backs, and if it was not for their stellar performance, it would not get half of the love from the audience. Me, and many others were willing to ignore quite a number of flaws, because what these two actors did not screen was worth it.

Another great aspect of the show was the OST. Not only were all the songs perfectly fitted for the scenes, but also… they are simply great songs that I wanted to listen to even outside of the drama.

The production value was definitely good. I loved the set design, the filming and editing. Sadly, I feel like all the focus and hard work directing and writing wise were put into making the romance storyline, forgetting that all the supporting characters are also what make the show. The pacing of all the side plots was not great and some conflicts had a Disney type of resolution.

Overall, worth the watch for the main couple. Truly amazed by the skills of Nanon and Ohm. Even with at times questionable writing, they made me enjoy the show and giggle more than once from both the comedy and the romance.

Bad Buddy was a bit like taking a walk in a beautiful mountain, but then seeing trash here and there, that’s just slightly ruining the view. Then you get to the top, but it's a restricted area… that sums up how I feel about the ending.

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highly recommended BL to someone who wants to start BLs

Why I love bad buddy


People talk about red flags
I have a green flag
His name is pat
He's greener than ever
He's the ocean and the forest
He's the world
He's everyone's ideal
He's my ideal
There you go
I found my ideal type





This show really brings out emotions that I have never really felt
Ohm and Nannon have done such a splendid job. The acting was on point. The music score was on point. This show didn't lack anything. It has become my comfort drama.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA

Each episode brings some kind of nuance that we don't expect. we see rivalry, small fights, brawls and then they go full emotional. Nannon being so expressive with just his eyes was something that drew me in this BL. But then it was ohm that made me stay. he played pat to perfection. He transcends all the toxic male leads nonsense and knows the importance of communication. He just goes on and literally demands a spill of emotions. He's the character I love. This show made me fall in complete love with both of them. Nannon's first BL being the best it could ever be. and I am just so glad that he did it with ohm.

If you still didn't get the gist, GO WATCH NOW

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Words cannot describe

With one episode left I decided to finally leave a review which I don’t make many of unless I feel very strongly about something.
The way I am so emotionally attached to these characters and this show is insane. I have not skipped a week since it started airing and that says a lot because I am a very forgetful person but week after week this show has been on my mind and I have probably rewatched it 5x .

First of the acting is just amazing Nanon and Ohm are absolutely fantastic at what they do and my heart aches every single time with them. Their chemistry is seriously insane and I can’t help but cheer them on every episode. I truly wish I can see them together in something else again but if they leave just this masterpiece I am not complaining.

Although the storyline enemies to lovers is pretty cliche and over used but if it’s done right it came be so beautiful and Bad Buddy does an absolutely perfect job at this.

The directing is Straight to the point but with amazing flow that doesn’t feel like something is missing or there should be a gap filled somewhere. Let alone the music !! It’s so catchy?! PLEASE ?! I BE SINGING NANON’s SONG ALL DAY !!

I don’t want to bore anyone with more details but if you are going “hmm maybe I should watch this later” lemme just tell you, you’re gonna regret it later. WATCH NOW! ITS WORTH IT 100% GUARANTEED OR YOUR MONEY BACK

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