This review may contain spoilers
Be Gay, Do Crime, Change The World
Yeah so I think this show permanently broke something in my brain and I have absolutely no regrets. Its reputation as a masterpiece is well-deserved; from the cinematography, to the music, to the acting... it's all absolutely fantastic.Gun is obviously brilliant as both Black and White, but I would like to give a special shout-out to literally everyone else on the cast - they all deliver absolutely devastating performances that genuinely left me breathless on occasion.
The story is a perfect blend of action thriller, political commentary, and queer romance which feels suspenseful, believable, and thoughtful all the way through without ever becoming repetitive or preachy.
It addresses power struggles, systematic exploitation, oppression, and the politics and logistics of revolution unflinchingly and highlights the practical and moral complexities of these issues.
Even non-violent retaliation against an oppressor can have far-reaching and often harmful consequences for the people being oppressed.
Solidarity and community are one of the most powerful tools for enacting change.
Art and satire as acts of rebellion can be both entirely inconsequential and immeasurably impactful.
Revolution often cannot happen peacefully, change demands chaos and force.
In other words, Nuchy went straight for the jugular with this show, and to devastating effect.
My personal favourite thing about the show, and I think perhaps one of the main reasons it has resonated so strongly with so many people, are the strong themes as of art as a vehicle for change and revolution woven through the story.
Eugene's dancing, Namo's murals, the protesters' songs, Unar's street art, Yok's Proletariat Expressionism showcase (which was an absolute punch to the gut for me personally and made me want to jump up and race to the nearest art museum) ... the ways in which the series showcases art as rebellion are myriad.
But the most impactful of them all is clearly Unar and Yok's storyline. Not only is it beautifully told and deeply emotional, it also lends a lot of depth to the show's uncompromising ACAB stance by showcasing the fallacy of trying to change a corrupt system from the inside out and how oppressive power structures can do almost as much harm to those they benefit as to those they exploit. A sort of nuanced "the patriarchy hurts men too"-type look into police brutality, which I personally appreciate greatly, even if I do wish they had explored this subplot and topic more in-depth.
In short this show is, unironically, a revolutionary work of queer cinema which, while it is not entirely without flaws, is more than worth your time. I highly encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to go and watch it right now.
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2Not Your Typical BL
My thoughts on this show are below:STORY: I truly feel like this is one of the most well written BL stories I have ever had the pleasure of watching. For most of my viewing, I felt that the writing style was purposeful, captivating, and effective. I felt like the story was well thought out overall and compared to most other BL’s I have seen… it didn’t have as many moments that left me confused when it came to the writing aspect. I will say though that I had to give the story portion a 7.5 objectively because as the series came closer to the end… there started to be some plot holes regarding certain characters and some minor hiccups in terms of when you compare how certain characters and situations were in the beginning to how they were closer to the end. Some of the story aspects felt just a little disjointed in the last few episodes if I am being completely honest. Also, the finale left something to be desired as well. Even though I may say that… I still think that overall the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to this show. I loved that the story also revolved around serious topics such as politics and social issues. It isn’t your typical BL story at all. I could understand why more serious topics for a BL might turn some people off, but I feel like you would be missing out on a good story if you decided to skip this one.
ACTING/CAST: I MUST shoutout the king Gun Atthaphan for playing two roles with such grace. He got the nuisances of Black and White’s characters down perfectly. You could tell the distinct differences in the characters very well. It must be hard playing two roles, but Gun always impresses me with his acting. He knocks it out of the park every time. When it comes to Off Jumpol, I was equally impressed. His acting just keeps improving from project to project. I am proud of him!!! As for the rest of the cast, I believe that they all brought their A game for this show. A standout character for me was Mond Tanutchai who played Gram. I loved his fiery and determined yet balanced personality. On the surface, he may seem tough and assertive but underneath he had a heart of gold and I love characters like that. I also loved that this show explored morally grey characters even more because it really got the viewer to debate on the ethics of the characters actions to a greater degree. The female characters actually had substance to them as well which I loved. Usually, female characters in BL shows are reduced to being nuisances to the main characters... so it was refreshing to see strong women who had their passions. There was not anyone that made me question there acting abilities. There was no cringiness or awkwardness. It was honestly like I was watching multiple award-winning actors on screen. Oh, and one more thing that I wanted to point out was that I LOVED the characterization of each person in this series. You didn't get one-note characters. You got people with depth and meaning. I also loved seeing the backstories of characters. When a character is fleshed out like how these characters were, I feel it really takes the show to the next level. THEY ALL DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE!!!
MUSIC: THE MUSIC IN THIS SHOW IS SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!! This is one of those shows that had me looking up the music being played on Spotify so I could add it to my library. Music is very important to me so when a production does it right… I am elated!!! Not Me’s soundtrack really added to the mood and tone of the scenes taking place. Sometimes the music can either make or break a scene and the music turned Not Me from a good show into a great one. Here’s a link to music that appeared in Not Me: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0wln5IkDmnp5fGCf0LWws8?si=48f09b1643224ac7
REWATCH VALUE: I think this show is one that you can rewatch over and over and not get bored because there are many details that you can pick up on through repeated viewing. I was already rewatching episodes over again as it was airing right after they came out, so I think that tells you all that you need to know lmao.
PRODUCTION/CINEMATOGRAPHY: WOW the production on the is show is TOP NOTCH!!! I haven’t seen many BL’s that look this crisp and clean. Everything from the camera angles, to the shots used, to the use of minimal makeup, to the clothing choices, to the locations, to the coloring of the scenes, to the voiceovers. I literally could go on and on. You can tell that a lot of detail was put into the pre and postproduction of Not Me and it shows heavily. It honestly looked like I was watching a high budget movie and to be honest, it looked better than some high budget movies I have seen. The production crew and cinematographer deserve ALL of the awards in the world for their work on this show.
In conclusion, Not Me is one of the BEST shows I have seen lately and I hope it continues to receive all of the love in the world because it’s well deserved!!!
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This is the new STANDARD
I wasn't 100% sure what my overall rating would be but as I was ticking off all the marks, I realised that everything was near perfection and deserves a 8.5.The music in this show was incredibly diverse and although I appreciate Thai artists being used in Thai shows, the fact that they used English music kind of made it a deeper experience for me. I guess you don't realise how much the lyrics of a song makes a difference when it plays in the background. You unintentionally relate those lyrics to what is happening in the moment. For this reason, the music was a 9.5/10.
The acting and plot was phenomenal and original. There wasn't a boring moment in this show and it really hit all the right markers.
The scene where Yok is doing a nude portrait of Dan is one of my favourite scenes in the show. It was so vulnerable and really set this precedent for BLs to follow. Instead of it focusing on steamy scenes and desires, this show actually showed a deeper meaning which was perfectly worded when Dan said 'I feel like I'm confessing my sins'. 10/10.
Also, the relationship between White and Sean was so naturally introduced. No confusion in what they were feeling, no regret or worry. They just accepted it as naturally as one should accept feelings for another. They didn't hide it from anyone and were so open to what they were feeling. Also, I love that both of them made sure eachother wanted the same thing. Basically, I love the CONSENT.
Great representation of the qommunity (get it.. haha queer community... qommun... anyways you get it). We had some beautiful raindbow flags in some scenes which I love <3
However, it wouldn't be a fair review if I didn't touch on the negatives...
I was a little disappointed with how they reintroduced Black into the story once he woke up. He kind of left the gang after he woke up which just doesn't make sense since he's the one that started it. If anything, I would have liked him to see that what White had done was working better than his plan but it was a little disappointing how he then continued on his own.
The ending was a little disappointing as well. They spent the entire show trying to take down Tawi but in the end, all of their efforts seemed to just be a symbol for society to stand up. We didn't have an epic scene where Tawi got taken in by police which I was looking forward to.
Also, I didn't fully understand why Dan all of a sudden changed his mind and went to arrest them. Like I get that someone powerful told him that he needs to step in line but AS IF that would be enough to scrap all your efforts and the effort of someone you supposedly love.
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Not me has it´s own unique charm but also lots of lost potential
It's really refreshing to have a series that is not set in the regular setting of a high school and is actually trying something different and new. That's really the reason why I'm giving it a much higher rating than it objectively deserves. And with that said, Not me is a series that bit a little bit more than it could chew.This show has very heavy premise about injustice in Thai society. It's a heavy topic to cover and this drama has a very childlike view of it, at least in the first half of the series. Like it's trying to tell you that society isn't black and white but in the show it kind of looks like there is good and bad and nothing in between.
But I'll admit I was being a little bit too hard on this show at the start because it's a Thai BL drama I can't really expect it to cover social issues in a believable way. Instead, Not me does it in its own, somehow charming way.
There's something very charming about this drama overall. I would say it is similar to the charm of Manner of death.
With that said, this series gets better and better with each episode. I wasn't sold on it the first few episodes, but then I got invested even through some setbacks in episode 7 and 8. Like when this show nails the scene, it nails it almost perfectly and for the last few episodes, this show has some really interesting moments that actually hooked me.
Story.
The story is good. It's interesting enough to make you interested but this show is very unfocused on what it wants to do. Like it's an mystery drama but at the same time it's a social critique drama and at the same time it's a romance drama. It tried to do so many different things and for that reason failed to execute them properly. The main plot point with the undercover twin and investigation of who hurt his brother, gets lost and almost doesn´t matter for the majority of the series.
I also feel like we are so preoccupied with the actual plot, that we can´t make much of the characters and environment and it all leaves us with so many questions. We see with White´s eyes, yet he never wonders why did Black do all those dangerous things or why his friends have no idea that he was almost killed even though he suspects them for hurting him in the first place. Where did Gumpa came from? Why does he do the things he does?
Characters
I had a lot of issues with the characters. Sometimes they do things that are unforgivable and the show likes to act like you have to forget them and move on. That was probably my biggest problem.
Sean is the worst example of this. I hated him but not for the type of character he is, but because his character doesn't make sense. He is a douchebag for the first half of the series. He is violent, reckless and just overall a bad person. But there is a turning point that comes out of nowhere when we learn about his past and yeah, while it's sad, it doesn't justify how he treats others but the show likes to act like it does. And all of a sudden, for the second half of the drama, Sean is caring, very sensitive, emotional and sometimes outright pathetic and dependent on White. He is a completely different character and we are supposed to just accept that.
I guess the show is trying to tell us that his love for White changed him but I don't think that's a really good message to give and it made their relationship not believable for me.
White is somewhat a boring character. I feel like they could do so much with his development but he felt underwhelming. They were trying to set him up as smart , but he did things that were not thought through and just dumb. His character flaws aren´t really flaws and they get fixed at the end of the series, like him not knowing how to parkour. At best, he was sweet and caring and little naive.
His twin though was something different. I actually enjoyed his character a lot even though he was a douchebag. This time around it was well portrayed. Black is not a good person, he's violent, selfish and reckless and he solves problems in a way that actually causes more problems to happen. His environment made him that way and it makes sense.
I have to just say that Gun is one of the most talented actors in BL because he managed to be two completely different characters and he did such a stellar performance with Black.
Yok and Dan, I actually really enjoyed their characters and romance more than the main couple. Their chemistry was just better and their story was somehow better executed even though it was sad. At first I hated the plot twist they made with them, but it wasn´t so bad I came to realize. They both were too nice for the series so I guess something just had to go wrong.
Sean and White
The second-worst thing about the show besides Sean, was the main couple. And I am really sad to say this because I feel like for the majority of people the fact that they are played by OffGun is enough, but it just isn't enough for me.
Just like Sean's character the relationship between White and Sean changed overnight and they went from hating each other to loving each other unconditionally in the span of one episode. I just kept on thinking what made Sean change his mind. It's a shame because you had one of the best chemistries between Off and Gun and it didn't do it for me. It just wasn't enough .I didn't enjoy their romance at all, it felt rushed and unnatural, which is a shame because it had so much potential. Like they are actually so sweet at the end but the way they got there doesn´t make sense.
Overall thoughts
But not to just criticize this show, it actually has some really good things going for it, first is the soundtrack. It's just really good, the music plays just at the right moment at the right time. It's 10 out of 10.
Another thing - the show doesn't look cheap. The locations are interesting, the camera work is actually sometimes really creative, costumes are great. You can see that it tries and yes, sometimes it tries TOO hard, but that's better than not trying at all. Some characters have their setbacks, but you can't really say that they are bland. I think you will be at least intrigued by their motivations and you have an interesting story backing it all up.
The main premise gets kinda lost in the noise of the show, there is lots of things going on, there are some logical errors BUT the finale is very satisfying and things end in a realistic way that was actually very mature. Which I wasn´t expecting starting this show. 8.5 = worth watching.
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IT WAS SO GOOD I WANNA GIVE IT A 100000 BUT THATS NOT POSSIBLE SO I GIVE IT A 10
NOT ME WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I didnt review while it still aired because I was curious to see how everything would play out. If the writer could maintain the plot and keep it as good as it was until the very end.The storyline was one of a kind. I get to watch dramas with such unique plots once in a while. Both the characters and actors grew on me so much.
White and Black - their bond was just so lovely. No matter how far they were or how different they became they still managed to portray SIBLING LOVE/BOND at its best! I think this is the best character of GUN I've ever seen and it will forever remain with me.
Sean really grew on me. I found myself wondering what his character was about to rooting for him every sunday, crying while he cried and smiling while he smiled.
YOK & DAN - while some people may have hated Dan for his decisions. I understood everything he did. Sometimes loving someone is not so easy and I was so glad Yok could understand that. I loved this couple every step of the way.
Gram & Eugene - I had reservations about them and may have rolled my eyes at them until towards the end but I came to understand. As much as I wanted Black with Eugene, I admit he really did hurt her and she deserves to be happy with whoever she chooses.
Gumpa - Oh my Gumpa! What a character! And Grams ex girlfriend was such a queen! I was hoping Todd wouldn't be what I suspected but everyone cannot be good. He wanted same thing as Black but just choosed a different direction. It really hurt to be see how their story played out!
I'm not sure how they managed to make not a single scene boring in this drama. I cannot think of a single thing wrong with it. Watching dramas these good has raised my standard so high, even more higher than it was before. This was a MASTERPIECE! The plot, the actors, the music! I have to say i dont think any other show can beat this anytime soon.
One last thing! THE MUSIC WAS 💋 WHOEVER was in charge of the music deserves a Bonus!
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A story that goes beyond BL
Wow just wow!!!!Not me was a new bl everyone was excited for since its announcement and especially since offgun was leading. The show itself did such a good job of balancing the bl aspect and non bl storyline to the point were u couldn't pick which you enjoyed more.
Beautiful performance from all the cast especially Gun like that boy definitely showed how great of an actor he is under gmm and even in the thai acting industry. The switch up between black and white is so insane u just cant picture gun being like that, but he pulls it off effortlessly.
DanYok the bl side couple that did something most bl side couples lack and that was pure PASSION. Fluke my husband did a splendid job and im really proud this show gave us a different side of him especially since gmm doesn't seem to respect hes worth.
Overall acting 10, storyline 10 also the pacing for this show is amazing definitely respected them for not dragging the stories out. Definitely gmms top bl id recommend everyone tap in and u won't be disappointed
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I still can't find anything better
Rambling:This is genuinely the best bl I have ever watched, I saw somebody said that the main couple didn't add anything to the storyline, but I'm actually glad about that. The main focus of the story isn't the couple. It's the problem of corruption in the Thai government and it didn't even have to be a bl but it just works.
The visuals are also absolutely stunning and the mood all the time made me feel like I was watching this in the theater. All alone at high quality(best feeling)
Gun's acting in this series it A work of art and he deserves a fucking award for it. He got everything thing right down to his chemistry with Off, it was off the charts.
I also like the fact that nothing is really sexualized, even sex isn't sexualized, everything is a art piece. Take Yok and Dan's nude painting scene, I felt the vulnerability too, like it gave me goosebumps I almost cried.
Final thoughts:
The cast and crew did a really good job with this and I recommend you watch it at least once in your life.
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One of the best BL I've ever seen
I need Season 2. I want to see White working as a diplomatic and fighting against the current government. I want to see the closure to ToddBlack. The last EP gave me the need to see more of them.I loved DanYok since of the very first sight. The chemistry between Gawin and First it's something that GMMTV could explore more.And, P'Anucha you were absolutely incredible!!! I'll follow your work whenever you'll do next. You are amazing.Ps. I had to search for the books that Sean have been reading in the beginning of the series. I learned more about Thailand history and culture. As a brazilian, I'd never had heard anything about this and this Series made me wanna to learn more and more.This was a such inspiration and I clearly see the connections between our laws, government, estruture, police force... Here in Brazil too. The episode focus on amnesty was my favorite.Not Me is now my favorite serie and it changed my life and my way to see some things. Thank you GMMTV, crew and cast to bring us this masterpiece.(Sorry if my English is broke, I'm always learning)Was this review helpful to you?
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WOW, what a show.
This review will be brief. Not Me is a series that stands out for approaching social issues with a sensitivity that is not common in BL series. Cast, direction, script, cinematography and soundtrack: all on point. Gun knew how to interpret the twins naturally and moved between them in a sublime way. Off was also excellent as Sean. First and Fluke were wonderful as Yok and Dan.The only caveats would be in relation to the character Gram and his arc, whose development was not satisfactory. The second point was that the penultimate episode had such a dramatic load (and it was excellent) that it seems that there was nothing left for the finale. The final scene, however, is beautiful.
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New #1 BL
Never have I felt so down that I've come to the end of a series, and neither have I felt the need to write a review on a show just to let people know how much more this show deserves.Despite the lack of budget, this show delivers in all aspects.
The focus of the entire series itself (politics, injustice) is just so extremely fresh in the BL industry that makes you doubt how interesting the story can get (imo politics are boring lol). But when such a genre of BL becomes so educational and lets the viewers understand more about the world, you know the director is amazing. The story goes deep into topics like monopoly and impunity and how it affects the society as a whole, and such a fresh take in the BL world really draws you in.
Not to mention, the casting for the characters is spectacular. You know nothing can really go wrong when Gun takes on the main role of Black/White, even though its hella challenging. This show really stretched him as he needed to show the stark difference in behaviours of the twins, and if you ask anybody that watched this masterpiece, they would all agree that Gun nailed his characters. I don't really have to say much about OffGun as a pairing because who doesn't know how good their chemistry is lol.
Moving on to DanYok/GawinFirst damn yall have no idea how hard they robbed my hearts. Every tiny bit they had in the show brought so much impact in the emotional aspect. Gawin did so well in showing his eternal dilemma of whether to follow the system, and First shattered all our hearts by displaying the yearning pain felt by Yok from seeing Dan betray him after putting in all his trust. Really didn't expect the chemistry of this pairing to be so phenomenal, would really like to see them act together again.
Now on to the music, I really didn't notice myself cringing at the background tracks and it shows how well P'Nuchy picked out the songs. Each track helped amplify the emotions felt by the viewer and didn't feel unnecessary (which happens rather often in BLs for some reason). The OSTs suited the show so much too (although the ending track sang by OffGun ruined my crying sessions after certain episodes LOL) Overall the music in the show is amazing.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. It reached a whole new level in the BL industry in a way that it perfectly conveys the characters' emotions. The 4Kness of many shots really embraced the idea of 'no filter' and I really sat through the scenes with content. It's just unexplainable. The rawness of the shots really showed how realistic this BL could get (in the aspect of both plot/love scenes).
In conclusion I'm so glad that I watched this show and I think I would have equally loved it even without the love aspect in it because IT REALLY DELIVERED. Would definitely rewatch it if im craving for tears or even just really good acting.
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A lot of words that start with the letter P, and perfect for me...
What do you get if you combine the best parts of Who are you, school 2015 with My Name and add some political fight the power stuff and make it in Thailand instead of South Korea?
Nothing perfect, but definitely something for me... This drama just ticked so many boxes with things I loved taking me on an exciting journey with a powerful political statement in-bedded in a nail-biting plot with just the perfect amount of bromance, romance, and everything in-between...
A drama where the plot is so good that all the "ohh they are so cute" just feel like an added bonus, do not get me wrong there is plenty of fan service such as oil wrestling, dimples and what not... but it does not take over and feels true to the plot. So to say that I loved this is an understatement...
The cinematography the directing, the styling, the writing everything was all well done, there is one point where the clothes more or less match the colors in the abandoned building. Fine there where where a few plot holes here and there, like running around and leaving fingers prints all over the place... and some plot twists were pretty predictable... but as a whole this was really high quality and highly entertaining at the same time (a more rare combination than one might think) . And what can I say even the PPL was noticeable but not over the top. And the so called sex-scenes where very tastefully made.
The relationships are for the most part pretty consensual, though they do seem to punch each other a lot, fight till the brink of death and may just have a Punch and make up kind of take to the classic kiss and make upp... but once you look past that most of the characters are actually rather nice , not so very toxic and definitely likeable.
There is some pretty powerful art and da3nce and the take on identical twins is very interesting.
To conclude definitely a good highly bingable drama for anyone one who enjoys a bit of fight the power, with a side of romance.
P.S After watching Theory of love I was already very impressed by Guns acting while not as impressed by Offs acting however this drama only strengthened my adoration for Gun and gave me a new found one for Off... Their chemistry is phenomenal so I am starting to get the whole OffGun Hype if there is one.
Also, this is one of those dramas where time flies, you start watching it and poof you are half way thru it without noticing the time...
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