Best of the Best BL you can currently find
Excellent actors, a great director, awesome music and all neatly wrapped into what should have been a cliche story. Truly, if you enjoy BL series with some realistic decision-making then this is super recommended. It's easily into the top 3 of my series and I am GLAD that I was there as part of it being firstly aired.This story has a surprisingly wholesome tone and it wrapped up the story nicely with a pretty little bow. If you can't change the world, your circumstances, that doesn't mean you should let it change you, change your relationship. What a great lesson to be learned from this series!!!
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Finally a BL that doesn't follow the norms
Note: This review is a personal opinion it's still your choice to agree with this or not :) Also, English isn't my native language so I'm really sorry for the grammar errors!I've been watching bls since 2019 that's why I can confidently say Bad Buddy is the best among the rest that I've watched. Bad Buddy isn't like the typical enemies to lovers series (like SOTUS). They've tackled some important issues like how toxic the asian household is and how we shouldn't bring the hetero norms in a same sex relationship. Even though there's some plot holes like ... does Pat's parents know that Pran saved Pa when they were younger? And does Pat know that Pran kept the old watch he gave to him? but the show is still a 10/10 :))
PatPran/OhmNanon
Please stop the top-bottom conversation :sob: This couple showed us that in a same-sex relationship, no one is wife or husband. They also have the healthiest relationship in BL. What's the secret? Communication :) Loved how they speak up what's on their mind instead of keeping it themselves. Thank you so much Ohm and Nanon for bringing Pat and Pran into life. This is what we get if we bring great actors in a series instead of just looking at visuals.
InkPa/MilkLove
THANK YOU SO MUCH P'AOF BUT GIVE US A SPIN-OFF. Usually in BLs, women are used to discover the male lead's feelings but that's not the case in Bad Buddy! Yes, Pat realized his feelings towards Pran after confessing to Ink but spoiler alert !!! She rejected Pat because she likes Pa since high school! At first, I doubted that they'll end up together because it seems like they just have a Junior-Senior relationship because of how the way Ink behaves with Pa during the first half of the series but something shifted after episode 8! I love this couple so much that I was looking forward to see them together again next episode (still mad with at that 7 sec screentime at ep 11 >:( ).
Ink is so matured, he didn't questioned Pat at all to keep the fact that Pat and Pran were classmates in high school and she just go along with it. For Pa, I thought she will be like those annoying sibling in other BLs but they proved me wrong! She helped Pat to discover his feelings using the 4 signs though it failed horribly to Ink but it worked to Pran! The confession scene is perfect, the way Pa's voice cracked the moment she spoke what's on her mind made me sad, Ink and Pa deserve everything what they have right now :( As far as I know Ink was supposed to be played by Love and Milk as Pa, thank god they switched their characters. I couldn't imagine Milk as Pa, though she's a good actress (same with Love!) Words couldn't explain how happy am I for them but I wish they'll have a spin-off or another MilkLove GL, they shed a light on how wlw couples should be instead of giving them tragic endings (7 Project Episode 3 I'm looking at you :/).
Pat and Pa
I love their sibling dynamics! Pat is a good brother, he let Pa to speak up first before him and let her decide whatever she does in life. Pa is a good younger sister as well, she guided Pat throughout his love journey.
WaiKorn/Jimmy and Drake
Fuck Wai and Korn, there I said it. Thank fucking god they didn't end up together. I don't care whether they had a redemption arc or not BECAUSE WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG. Wai outed Pran and Pran doesn't know he was the one who did it. If I were Pran, I will cut off ties with him forever. Wai should respect Pran's choice to kept Pat and Pran's relationship a secret instead of dropping the damn curtains. Korn's behavior isn't excused as well even though he accepted his friend's relationship with Pran that quick. He bullied Wai just because he's from Architecture faculty. Is it because he likes Wai? What kind of love language was that? But I commend Jimmy and Drake's acting, they did well, their acting was convincing to the point I was annoyed of their characters everytime I see them on screen.
The other characters
Pat and Pran's other friends isn't that memorable to the point that I already forgot their names, I am sorry. Fuck Pat's dad for stealing Pran's mom's scholarship, but that doesn't excuse the fact she controlled Pran's life.
Music
The OSTs are perfect as well! They've matched what Pat and Pran felt throughout the series.
Rewatch Value
I'll probably rewatch this for InkPa! Sorry PatPran haha,,,,
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My favorite BL of all time so far
I started watching Asian dramas last year, thanks to my mom, who’s been a devoted fan of this kind of dramas for years. I’ve watched probably almost every BL that had been released already.Bad Buddy will forever be stuck with me, the acting, story, actors, music, direction. ABSOLUTELY everything. Simply perfect.
Thank you P’Aof, Nanon, Ohm and the whole cast for this amazing experience.
I really hope they do another BL as a couple, especially for being such close friends, their chemistry is unmatched and you can feel throughout the whole series.
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NOT YOUR TYPICAL BL SERIES - FULL OF CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND WISDOM
I have been in BL series for more than 7 years and finally got a series that could make me excited again. The story sure looks cliche and shallow but the team successfully twist and fills it with wisdom. They aren't only talking about LGBTQ+ but also relationship parents-children, Asian Culture (which I found interesting because it might confuse Westerners viewers lol) .I won't talk about the acting and chemistry because both Ohm and Nanon have proven themselves as great actors in their other series. What I like the most about this series is how fluid all characters are. They are not living in a rigid tradition like other BL Series. Their life is not black and white. They did awful things, chose bad decisions, manipulative but also someone best friend and guardian, so I can’t really see them as a villain. It really adds a new dimension to the characters which makes them more human, like us and I enjoy their company so much for the past 3 months.
I also write about Pat & Pran's parent background story on my blog https://fanindisguise.blogspot.com/2022/01/bad-buddy-series-review-what-happened.html, feel free to read it. However, it contains a major spoiler, read it at your own risk.
To summarize, this series is like West Side Story without dancing and a dying character at the end.
Worth spending your time binge-watching this series.
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bad buddy is THE bl show
now where do i start... i'll try to keep it shortSTORY AND ACTING/CAST
at first i thought that it was going to be a very basic and average bl, but oh boy i was wrong.
yeah the plot might not be that outstanding at first, but this series really shows that even basic plots CAN be done well
because now to my point: the fact that ohm and nanon were chosen to act as pat and pran makes this series what it is.
i had not seen any prior works from nanon before bad buddy, i had seen ohm somewhere but hadn't finished any of the series that he acted in. first of all, i'd be lying if i said that i didn't end up having a crush on nanon after this mess.
i admire his ability to act out AS that character, he never fails to portray the character perfectly and i've seen this from some of his other series that i watched while waiting for new bbs eps.
i liked nanon's acting from the start, but oh that one friday, when ep 4 was aired, it was the turning point for me in this series. his acting in the ending scene really got the feelings delivered to me, my heart hurt and i will never forget it.
from that point onward i really saw how great this series was going to be.
ofc ohm is an amazing actor as well, but i feel like nanon gave his all for this series, it doesn't feel like his first bl series
the acting can really change someone's opinion about a show, even if it has a good unique plot, if the acting is terrible you don't want to watch it,,,
for bad buddy, i can say that nanon and ohm did justice to the plot and their characters.
their chemistry is also undeniably one of the best, since they've been friends for a very long time and are comfortable with each other.
the fact that a very good amount of the kiss scenes were unscripted,, oh don't get me started.
i love how they also destroyed the "i'm straight and the only man i love is you" things and the husband and wife dynamic, breaking standards and curses, we stan.
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MUSIC
every single one song in the ost is very enjoyable, 100% in my playlist and stuck in my head
the lyrics portray the series well and they fit the theme, also i love nanon's voice
did i mention i love nanon, yes anyways
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REWATCH VALUE
10/10 would , AND WILL watch again, no questions asked.
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OVERALL
i don't really have anything remarkably negative to say, it's a masterpiece and i hope that ohm and nanon will act as a pair again because they CAN make it work,, but it's also fine if they don't since then this series will be the special one.
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This was a delight
Would I recommend this drama? Yes. In fact I think there is almost no one to whom I would not recommend this drama to. So prepare for a glowing review followed by one or two (possibly unpopular) pet peeves.The story sets us up for a lot of entertainment and comedy. The chemistry between the two leads is undeniable. It's extremely good when they have emotional and/or intimate moments. The kiss in episode 5 was just one of the few on-screen kisses I have ever seen and loved. It's generally not what I go in for but it felt so f*cking real. So, you know, round of applause and all that jazz. They were also entertaining together and with the supporting cast. The humour was well-balanced with some of the more serious moments. I also loved that the comedy from different characters revealed their unique traits and personalities just as much as the hard-hitting moments.
The acting. Ah, the acting. Literally just sat at my keyboard wondering how to describe how excellent the acting is. Magnificent. Just amazing. Loved it. All synonyms to the word 'love' should be applied when talking about the acting in this series. I don't have complaints or issues with any of the acting but the two leads were particularly amazing.
The GL pairing was a-f*cking-dorable. Loved it. Relished it. Both of them did a great job and their acting throughout was also excellent.
The pacing was excellent. I wasn't skipping scenes. I didn't get bored. All of the relationships evolved at a believable pace. Loved it.
The cinematography was great (you can never go wrong with P'Aof and his usual team when it comes to production and cinematography). It was great. Visually just genuinely good.
Now for my two pet peeves...(sorry)
Number one. The set-up. The parents were so petty and immature. I just found it too melodramatic. I know it provides some comedy and plenty of conflict but it just got a bit too much for me sometimes. Their personality differences (of the leads I mean) could have been enough for a lot of the conflict and the humour. The parents bothered me the whole time. So yeah, just personally wish that had been dialed back a bit.
Number two. (A bit of a contradiction of an earlier comment...) The ending. So, as I said, I generally loved the pacing of the entire series. It was so well done, which is super rare. However, the final episode ruined that streak for me a little bit. I do not like time jumps and the misdirect that they had broken up was so obvious it just annoyed me that we were having all this fake tension the whole time. 4 years is a long time. There doesn't seem to be much point to it in my opinion either. I also don't like that 4 years is meant to be how long it took for the parents to reluctantly accept their relationship (like, grow up, move on 'kay!). It was a happy ending which is great but it just felt a little more fragmented after the smooth pacing of the previous 11 episodes so, you, know, I would have prefered more consistency with the time line of the series as a whole.
If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and go watch it. You deserve it. ;)
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Healthy healthy healthy all the way!
Food analogy: Pure guilty sweet chocolate..best cheat diet as well as not cheat food.I probably can't say anything new that already hasn't been said in other reviews. I can just agree on all the 10 on 10s this series is getting and argue with everyone who is not giving this a 10 on 10.
By far, the best. Just the potrayal of the characters in this modernized romeo juliet is out of the bounds. And let it just get out of the way that they couldn't have casted better. I am so glad to have given this series my time of the day and you would too.
Story: Quite generic tbh but you won't be bored for a second.
Music: Keeping the title track in my workout playlist forever. And the Ost's are mind blowing.
Acting: Least amount of overacting and oh that chemistry.. oh that kiss.
Rewatch value: you will be crazy not to rewatch and revisit this sweetness.
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And what I will say is…..I loved it!
STORY:
What I strongly appreciate is that the writer and producer of this show made the logistics of Pat and Pran’s relationship from rivals to lovers make actual sense (did they hate each other or did their parents tell them to hate each other?). Pat and Pran both have strong logic in their actions and words.
Not just them but everyone, their behaviour makes sense and most of the times is understandable, whether it’s justified or not.
It feels like if the plot ever happened in real life it would play out like this.
What I loved the most about the main couple is their dynamic, there is none of that Top/bottom, husband/wife, heteronormativity, ‘I’m not gay I just like you’ stuff. In fact it’s actually called out on various occasions.
ACTING/CAST:
Actors that can act is unfortunately a rarity within the bl industry, but I can confidently say that the main couple in bad buddy can act. In fact they can’t just act but they can act believably, they can make you understand what they are feeling, why they are feeling it and make you feel it too.
I’ve seen some of Ohm (Pat) and Nanon’s (Pran) previous works and I will say they are truly talented actors and it’s an all time talent, not just with each other. They could make chemistry with goats.
You put two 10s together and you get 20.
In terms of the rest of the cast. I will say that some are weaker but the shockingly good main couple, have all your attention.
Something I’m glad they didn’t include is the enemies to lovers ‘ship’ that is popular on social media. Without spoiling too much their dynamic even after reconciliation did not suite that of a romantic relationship at all!!!
MUSIC:
If I have to pick out the best aspect of this drama it will be the music. All of it. The songs ‘just friends’ and ‘our song’ just elevated the whole watching experience for me.
FRIENDLY WARNING:
- this drama isn’t drenched in endless spice **side eyes THAT drama knowingly** but there is some….enough to take your breath away. Literally! I don’t think I breathed once in THAT scene.
-Now that the drama is fully aired this is easy, but I advise binging the drama in one go to feel all the emotions the fullest extent. After 6-7 weeks of chasing the drama, I found that the excitement and heart constricting passion for this show dwindled…..don’t get me wrong I still loved it but having whole weeks in-between each episode doesn’t work for me.
- This show isn’t perfect as a whole, that is almost impossible, at least for me, but this show was dam near close.
- this show is emotionally charged: anger, love, passion, every damn thing.
It doesn’t help that so much happens every episode that at the end, my chest wants to implode once it realises I’ve been sentenced to another week of waiting as if I didn’t already know I’d have to wait.
- The focus is the main couple so although there is a second (GL) couple they don’t get much attention, am I mad that I got more PatPran scenes, I can’t say I am.
To conclude, a note to further encourage you to watch this show:
“Please make me beg for my life”
*Whispers* Watch it!!!
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A near masterpiece of its genre
It's not really a review, it's a list of strengths (these are not just things I liked – these are the things that made the show successful) and weaknesses of "Bad Buddy". Generally speaking: it was the best BL I've seen, deserving high praise for direction, story, music and - most importantly - acting of Ohm and Nanon.== Strengths ==
1/ Dynamic of Pat and Pran
(1) Communication. They didn’t overanalyse things nor kept their problems and doubts to themselves – they discussed everything of importance (they argued like twice). Hence the often praised lack of toxicity, jealousy and stupid BL drama over nothing (BTW: a lot was said without uttering a word. I’m glad someone finally realized that on TV you don’t have to say everything, you can show certain things instead – with a gesture or a glance or a flashback). (2) They supported, took care of and respected each other for real. Pran calling Pat back in ep. 8 and making him feel better when he was low after an argument with Ming is one of my favourite scenes of the series – and there’s plenty of other examples of them being for one another. (3) Cuteness and banter. That’s self-explanatory, I guess. Don’t know how much of that was scripted, probably not much or none at all, but it made the two mains even more likeable. No wonder so many reactors called their relationship wholesome and healthy.
2/ Story structure and direction
(1) Simple premise and plot, no convoluted story elements (with one exception) complicating matters for the audience and the two mains. With a simple structure, the show was easy to follow. Not something widely known to BL screenwriters. (2) Focusing the story on Pat and Pran (minimizing plotlines of side characters) and then going one step further: making sure, since at least ep. 8, that no externally caused problems will destroy the relationship of the two main characters – not Pran’s fears about other people finding out about him and Pat from Pat’s IG posts, not the reactions of Pat’s and Pran’s friends, not the feud of their parents nor their wishes. Pat and Pran weren’t able to “change the world”, but didn’t let the world change them. It was their story, their love and they were in control, because they wanted it. And yes, faking a break-up and lying to their parents was an option they had the right to choose and use.
3/ Show’s self-awareness
It was a rom-com with a simple plot – and it didn’t pretend to be anything else. It also didn’t take itself too seriously – hence it was able to keep a light, optimistic tone for most of the time. Product placement was included as a necessary evil and treated as such – by both teleplay and the actors.
4/ Trope and stereotype busting
The show dealt with the “I’m straight, you’re the only man I like” trope in an unceremonious manner – laughing it out loud. It also dealt - in a more polite, but still firm manner - with assigning roles of wife and husband in same-sex relationships.
5/ Intimacy done correctly
BB features real kisses instead of the "traditional" GMMTV awkward lip-pressing. Ep. 5 rooftop kiss (The Kiss, Mother of All BL Kisses, Kiss of the Century) and ep. 11 evening beach kiss were amazing. The show also addressed sex-related issues – sometimes through metaphors, sometimes openly. According to many comments Pran and Pat are both versatile (I got that feeling myself after ep. 11 and 12), which – even if it wasn’t stated directly – is of note, also from the trope-busting perspective.
6/ Inclusion of a GL plotline
Cute, short and to the point. Story-wise it wasn’t a necessity, but it got the deserved praise – which shows that people want GL content.
7/ OhmNanon
I'm mentioning this last, but the casting of the two mains was the shows biggest asset. Would the story work with a different cast? Probably. Would it be a success? That depends. It needed a coupling of two attractive, young guys with enough chemistry to get us emotionally involved and convince us, that we’re watching a cinematic masterpiece. I've seen some great chemistry in other shows, ATOTS chief among them, but OhmNanon’s chemistry was of the charts, beating everything I know (including EarthMix) and lifting this simple rom-com with a basic plot to a cosmic level. With eyes glued to the screen, I followed the show week for week, watched reaction videos to savour OhmNanon's scenes together again and again. Mesmerizing. If you’re not convinced about the importance of chemistry in a production like this – compare BB to “Fish Upon the Sky” (Pond and Phuwin had little to no chemistry) or “Tonhon Chonlatee” (Podd’s and Khaotung’s chemistry was one of the very few good things in that show and the only reason I rated it at 7.0 and not much lower). OhmNanon is a powerhouse and a force of nature. I'll say what I've said elsewhere: OhmNanon is the superior ship. Amazing.
8/ Music
Kacha's "Secret" is an optimistic song appearing several times to indicate that things are improving/the situation isn't as bad as we think (see first use in ep. 6 or ep. 12), I liked it upon listening to it for the first time. All three songs by Nanon are not just part of the soundtrack, but actually get used within the show: the first is "Just Friend?", in-show written and performed by Pat and Pran, and then covered in-show by guest starring Gemini and Ford, the second - though played mainly for laughs - is Sizzy's and Nanon's "Love Score" (the car scene in which Pat - or rather Ohm - interprets the song, is priceless), and lastly we get "Our Song", presented in-show as Pran's work-in-progress since his high school days, completed and performed in ep. 11 (an instrumental version of the same song is used in the opening credits of every episode). I loved how all those songs were not just used, but entwined into the story. In a post-credits scene of ep. 12 we even get a brief callback to "Same Page?" by Tilly Birds, which was used for the first trailer of BB. There's more of good music used in the show - like the musical backgrounds during the rooftop kiss scene in ep. 5 or Pran's and Dissaya's confrontation in ep. 10. Special praise for his input into the shows score goes to Ohm for his xylophone performances - the one in ep. 8 is emotional and powerful (I remember several reactors staying silent for that whole scene – so captivating were the visuals and the music).
== Weaknesses ==
1/ Outing without consequences
Wai in “evil bitch mode” (that's a quote, btw), revealing Pat and Pran to everyone in the theatre, was a scumbag many loved to loathe (Jimmy did a great job there); lack of consequences of that, Pran’s attempts to make up with Wai and Wai’s convoluted “redemption arc” were all let-downs. A short, simple and honest scene with Wai apologizing to Pran and Pat would clear the air. A connected, but smaller let-down: the initial reaction of Korn, Mo and Chang. What was the point of them acting like jerks for one scene - only to be Pat's friends in the next one?
2/ First 20 minutes of ep. 12
Keeping the audience in the dark for the first 20 minutes of ep. 12. Unnecessary and pointless – especially for all those watching the show once all episodes aired. It did – in combination with very manipulative previews for ep. 12 – make a lot of people watching the show wonder what really happened. The sigh of relief when Pat opened the door for Pran and said “You said you’d sleep at your house” (indicating they’ve been together this whole time, with Kacha’s song confirming that everything is okay) was heard all over the planet – but it wasn’t necessary to have us go through what preceded it.
3/ A world without homophobia (again?)
I understand that the tone of the show was meant to be light and there couldn’t be too many obstacles the two mains had to overcome, but – seriously – we got another GMMTV show taking place in a fantasy world free of homophobia. Real Thailand, real Asia and the real world are still homophobic. I’m dragging the real world into this because – once ep. 11 and previews for ep. 12 – a lot of people discussed Pran’s and Pat’s break-up in “real-world” categories, explaining to the wider audience (meaning: to the comment section) that in Thailand/Asia parents have an actual hold on their children, need to be respected and so on. The showrunners apparently shared this attitude (hence the 4-years-long deception explained in ep.12), so I feel like including the lack of real-world homophobia in this list of the show’s weaknesses.
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BL 2.0
There was a lot to like about this series. There was a lot that was unique within the BL genre. Even the female charters were likeable. What's also good about this series is what it's not. Not stereotypical or homophobe or ... The story had it's ups and downs and something didn't really go smoothly I guess I should say transition wise. But all in all it was one of the most enjoyable and the cast all were believable and likeable. There was a large amount of great chemistry amongst the ensemble. I am an OHM fan but still i believe he is going to make it mainstream. He had some very strong scenes and he really made it specials. Especially the roof top scenes. I think he should be nominated for an award for the last roof top scenes. Jimmy and Drake are next in line for me. Very strong presence and great job standing out. Nanon to me was not real good in the first 4 to 5 episodes. He then got better or the scripts and or directing got better. Much better in Eps 8 through 12 for sure.Like all series not perfect but for sure one of the better ones.
Congrats to all involved in creating this one. Bravo!
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Will they stick the landing?
I never give 10/10 and I won't here either but there's never been a show that has come so close in my mind.The 9.5/10 are simply because I wish they would have addressed what Wai did and some audio issues I noticed throughout the show that surely could have been avoided.
Ironically, the weakest thing about this show (and that is "weak" with a hefty bit of sarcasm because this show has no weak points) is probably the storyline and that's just because it doesn't have any crazy twists and turns or reinventions of a popular trope. However, the story is still done fantastically: it takes the old Romeo & Juliette narrative and turns it realistic and earily understandable. Pat and Pran start out as rivals (but not really), turn into reluctant co-conspirators and friends before, inevidably, their true feelings for each other spill out. Brilliantly, the audience gets to understand very early on that, really, Pran has been infatuated with Pat for years, maybe even decades, and so the jumpstart of their relationship only happens after Pat - oblivious in the fact of clear signs - realized in episode 5 that he has madly fallen in love with Pran as well. Continuing their bickering rivalry into their courting process, watching them shamelessly flirt and tease is an absolute delight and when the next heartfelt turn of their relationship happens and they finally become boyfriends, it happens in a wonderful, peaceful way without anyone getting hurt. The fact that their relationship grows stronger and stronger and is the main focus of the show, never detracts from the tension, it is never boring to watch them flirt and bicker and fall deeper and deeper in love. In fact, it's an absolutely incredible watch, which Ohm's and Nanon's acting has to be tributed and lauded for.
Storywise it feels as if their first really conflict in episode 5, which gets resolves in two episodes, and their conflict in episode 7, which also gets resolved in two episode, are precursors to the biggest issues these character's will face - which, like a final boss, lurking in the shadows, being teased since the beginning, is their parents.
The story is simple, yet a combination of great writing, great directing, great acting and trust in not just the actor's history with each other but also their chemistry, really paid off with this show.
Now the only thing it needs is to stick the landing and present the audience with a satisfying ending.
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The Best BL You Will Ever Watch!!!
I never imagined how emotionally invested I would become when the show first started but here we are, a couple of hours away from the finale, and I'm in tears. The plot may be basic but this show is FAR from basic.......Ohm and Nanon have the most natural chemistry I've ever seen and their acting didn't even seem like acting....thats how real it felt!! They brought Pat and Pran to life and they were able to convey so much emotion to the point where you yourself can feel everything they're feeling....Combine that with the brilliance of the director P'Aof and you have a phenomenally beautiful series that definitely will go down in the history books. I went on an emotional roller coaster throughout this show and I'm super sad to see it come to an end :( I don't think I will come across a BL that will top this one!!! By far one of the best shows I've ever watched and I definitely will be re-watching it multiple times!!Was this review helpful to you?
