Acting and story shines in this one.
This one surprised me so much. I went in with no expectations because usually seem genre usually doesnt deliver well for me. But i was hooked for this one. And twin brother falling in love with gang member made my heart flutter.This was one of best actings i have seen in a BL. The rawness of the characters and pacing both added to the charm. I cried for my second leads as well. Also Offgun outdid themselves. Those closeup eye shots and incredible emotional potrayal was everything . This is MUST WATCH!
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A very underwhelming ending for a good series
I overall like Not Me, but that ending… it does not fit with the tone of this series. The cast is great, I liked almost every character and the soundtrack is fantastic. But I can not understand how a series like Not Me could end up with a happy ending for everyone.I’m not saying that i wanted everybody do die, nor that I was rooting for Tawi. But let's be real, that happy ending for every single main character makes 0 sense! Todd is the only character that did not get a happy ending, but it’s not like he had a terrible ending either. Everyone is alive and all the couples are together and happy. I really expected either Dan or Yok to die, because that would be the ideal way to show the stakes and move the plot. If Dan dies, he ends up showing his will to correct the mistake of his past and show that he cares about Yok and the gang, specially after betraying them. Yok dying would show that the fight and their methods have consequences, and would push Dan to fight with the gang (I know that it would be very hard for Dan to accept that he indirectly killed Yok by betraying the guys).
And what about Gumpa?! We get no explanation about him and his story. What’s his motivation? Where did he get all that training? How did he get all the information on Tawi? And most of all: How did his fingerprint unlock Dan’s car? (OK, the last one is not a major point, but it’s weird).
I feel like everybody knows this by now, but Gun once again proved that he’s one of the best actors at GMMTV.
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DEEPLY flawed, but unique social commentary
1. There is no such thing as telepathy, including between absolute twin clones.2. Identical twin separation is not a thing, unless it is a historical case, which is not the series
3. Why diplomats are retiring at a young age?
4. Identical tweens can not fool each other’s friends for more than a short time: not even because of the slight differences in looks and mannerisms, but because of the whole context of their friendship that twins can not know
5. Shaky camera work
6. Why did not White simply checked the GPS coordinates where Black was attacked?
7. Diplomats study law, so White should not have issues with Black’s law course
8. The most of money of politicians and other criminals are usually in offshore bank accounts, not in mansions. And the wealth in the mansions is not in the mansions themselves but in the land they are put on. So burning a mansion does not do much damage financially.
9. Getting yo the second floor from within a mansion that is nearly fully ablaze would not work as nearly all oxygen is already burnt, and hot CO is raising to the second floor. You can go within the first floor because this is where new oxygen is sucked in. Wetting your clothes or filters will not help, you need oxygen tanks with you.
10. You can not really wake a person who has fainted from CO and toxins asphyxiation by slapping his cheeks. The only think you need to do ASAP is to drag the person to a place with oxygen.
11. You would not be able to handle a motorcycle, if your palm is burnt, and no gloves can help it. Your skin will never regrow with that pressure and friction.
12. Never date a person who is violent. There will be endless excuses every time you will be attacked. Too bad this series makes it fine.
13. This series unique among all BL dramas for raising economic injustice issues.
14. How come a protest against a corrupt oligarch has randomly turned into a LGBT campaign?
15. Why the crime boss is walking around without a guard?
16. Why Off’ character has exposed his identity and attitude to the crime boss?
17. Why he did not just shoot the crime boss from the very beginning, right after his father was killed?
18. Why did not Gun’s character confess that he is a twin brother after the bed scene? No point in hiding it at that point.
19. Actor Fluke is in shape for this series, unlike the 2019 series Dark Blue Kiss. I am glad for the lad.
20. The narrator’s voiceover in this series is not justified, unlike Theory of Love series from 2019
21. Sleep-talking is not an elegant scenario vehicle
22. The advertisement integrations are really funny in this series because they are all around and between the gore and characters get shot and barely surviving at times
23. Gun’s character did not confess to Off’s about his twin lie after the shooting incident, too, which makes no sense
24. No need for White to breakup with Sean for real, a pause until the danger is gone would have been enough
25. No need for the whole gang to go to hospital with the wounded big smile lad. In fact, just dropping him by would have been enough.
26. The real life ending would have been a certain death of all cast.
27. The actors are cute and they did a great job.
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The most daring BL from GMMTV to date
When I started watching Not Me, I started wondering if it's BL at all. Gone is the excessive use of beauty filters or blurring effects to make the actors look unnaturally perfect. Instead, you can see the actors' complexions, pores and all. The cinematographic elements tend to be dark and gritty, and one might be surprised by how politically daring it is to talk about the problems with Thai society. And while fans may start watching the series thinking that it is yet another Off-Gun BL vehicle, the series takes its own sweet time developing their characters' relationship to a point where they are clearly in love with each other. It has the sort of guts to chart new territory that the Thai BL industry needs.To be sure, Not Me does not eschew all BL conventions. Quite early in the series, we get to see White (Gun's character) and Sean (Off's character) sharing a bed, Gun falling into Sean's arms, etc. However, the ship for the other couple, Yok and Dan, starts sailing faster and one may wonder if the White-Sean ship is going to happen at all. But what is surprising is that it leaves out a whole lot of feel-good fluff. The main characters may be mostly university students, but their vigilantism is legally problematic and morally ambiguous. There isn't much putting them in a glamorous light although they seem to be good people. With Not Me, we are definitely not watching the typical idealized rich-and-handsome or romanticized struggling-poor-but-cute leads though some of the main characters are wealthy and others are poor. They are not guys who go around campus with legions of screaming fans. If they are privileged in some way, the access to that privilege is questioned.
Of course, not everything that is different from the norm is great. So what makes Not Me such a riveting watch? The plot development, for one, is excellent. There is a good story beyond the BL. And while a revelation in one of the later episodes about how Black (White's twin brother, also played by Gun) gets injured at the start of the story isn't totally unpredictable, it is interesting how the person behind his injury is portrayed with a certain degree of ambiguity rather than as an outright villain. It is hard to tell how the story will end until you have watched the last episode.
The story of White impersonating Black and joining the latter's vigilante group isn't a story that will definitely benefit from an infusion of BL into the plot. It is good enough on its own, and having BL relationships may attract more fans while alienating others. If we consider the social impact of the series, it is a good thing to have such a series instead of series that cater only to BL fans because the portrayal of gay relationships can reach more than just a niche audience.
Despite all the praises I can shower on Not Me, I shouldn't exaggerate how ground-breaking the series is. While the social criticism is strong at the start, the society's problems seems to be very much reduced to a single villain (Tawi) later on despite hints that getting rid of him isn't going to change society. Certain deep-seated social issues like how the wealthy have connections that help them get ahead of others who may be equally or better qualified also seem to take a backseat later on. Yet, the series has done what I don't expect from a GMMTV production. (If I remember correctly, The Gifted came close but seems to chicken out of it.) Such a production deserves all the support it can get. If nothing else, the commercial viability of such a production will mean that it won't just be indie, low-budget productions that would venture into the same sort of social criticism.
I don't usually take the numbers in my reviews seriously, but I would say that if we take everything else we can out of the series except for the BL, the BL would at most be 8/10. But it is everything else that is working together with the BL that elevates the series to 9.5/10. With the same cast and production team, GMMTV could well have made another excellent but mostly safe series like Bad Buddy. But I'm really glad it didn't.
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1Nothing is easy, but this was easily a 10
Everything about this was well-thought-out. From the clothing, lighting, props, and music to the dialogue, line delivery, and message.It doesn't paint its protagonists as always right. More often than not, their points of view are challenged, often by each other. And, there is no easy answer. Peacefully protesting is a great way to speak out but does not guarantee a solution. Many companies are happy to wait it out until the public forgets about it. Acting illegally but nonviolently to expose deep-seated corruption is another way. But you can be arrested and/or have the public turn against you. For many, the end does not justify the means. And, if the law can be so easily disregarded, what is the point of it? Removing one person in power doesn't necessarily make the root of the issue go away; someone else will take their place.
None of it is easy. Even though this drama ended, it wasn't the end for the characters. They won the battle, but they're still fighting the war.
Our protagonists, while working together, aren't even on an equal playing field with each other. I think this is best shown through White's internal dialogue about growing up privileged and ahead of others and how unfair that is reflected by what he sees around him and what others say.
This wasn't a cash-grab romance drama with "brownie-points" material thrown in. This was a genuine attempt to portray working-class people being taken advantage of, discriminated against, and still fighting for equal rights.
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Brilliant! Top for 2022!
Finally some production company allowed these actors to 'act' and what you end up with is a brilliant reality play. It is a necessary, essential tale apparently itching to be told, of a story that is universally understood - social justice, And it is told with romance in such an ordinary way under extraordinary circumstances. I was mesmerized by all the performances and thought the acting was brilliant and near perfection. Plus its message is a universal one. The inequities in justice and fairness and discrimination are universally felt and understood. But the fight is real and dangerous. Yet love still takes hold and manages to blossom. But the fight must go on. This is simply a brilliant, extraordinary BL series and will not doubt be on the Top Ten List for 2022.Was this review helpful to you?
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More than a BL series
This series is literally more than a bl series, as far as I can remember this is the only bl series that sucessfully made its lessons, representation and issues come through in a very clear way.Like where have you even seen two people who love each other go under the pride flag, holding each others hands and shouting out for equal rights? No where except Not Me.
The acting of Off and Gun is top tier and I really applaud Off for his acting, you can really see how much he improved through out the years. And Gun, lets not start with him because when I say his actings good IT REALLY IS! I also appreciate Mond, First, Papang, Fluke, and especially Sing's acting!!!!!
The OST's for this series is perfect and addicting. Lastly, I really admire how P'Nutchy (the director) is so brave in putting out this series knowing the backlash she might receive from other people's opinions about opening up about the government and society itself.
I highly recommend watching this series, this is beyond any other series not just in the BL genre!
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Why should you watch this?
Because it's amazing!Not Me is one of the best BL series I've seen so far. The story makes you think and opens your eyes to issues you might otherwise be blind to. It evolves in a natural way that makes it very believable.
The acting is of an entirely different level. Off and Gun were perfect for these roles. Their chemestry is palpable and their skills undeniable. I especially admire Gun for the way he pulled off playing both Black and White. With just one look you could tell the difference between the two.
The OST is beautiful. It goes along very well with the episodes. The songs are part of my daily routine now.
I will definitely rewatch this! And I wouldn't mind a second season at all. In fact, I would very much like to see how their fight continues.
My heart goes out to the entire cast and crew. May you all continue to thrive!
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I want to like it more, because I know it's good
I want to like it more, because it's finally a BL which is different, where the BL aspect isn't in the center. But my attention span wasn't long enough,(don't binge-watch it like me) to enjoy it properly. It's art, the scenes are beautiful, but it's like watching art for hours, it isn't too exciting you know? And I felt like the pacing is too slow, even though stuff happened all the time. It just didn't made me want to necessarily continue watching, like not in the staying-up-all-night-to-finish-it way. And the ending could be better done, it needs a season 2 but I think that they are trying to keep it open. But the quality and the acting were sooo good, so give it a shot!Was this review helpful to you?
Most raw and real BL out there
Watch this! And thank me later…This was a banger.. a solid BL done right ..
when the direction is good, the story is damn good and the chemistry & acting of the leads and the cast is over the roof, you get a happy viewer like me…
Idk where to start…
The acting, the chemistry, cinematography, how well it was directed, I’m impressed …..like that was really good direction, everything felt so raw, from the set up to the make up to everything that was shown it felt so real ..
and don’t get me started on offgun, I love offgun and their acting and chemistry esp in not me was over the roof, I was always waiting for their scenes…
Now the OST? Esp the one on the first and last kiss scene?
No….that was a genius move to make such cinematic kisses with the best possible background music.. background music can make or break the scene so watching a damn good music with one of the best BL kisses.. it was one of the best scenes of the drama..
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A drama that stirred so much emotions - IT HAD MY HEART
I can't even begin to describe how I feel about this drama but all I can say it was a rollercoaster in the best way possible and it had my heart the whole time. Not me was able to create an enticing plot with deep character storylines and the perfect chemistry. It tackles politics, it tackles ableism, it tackles injustice of any kind in an interesting way that you can't help but watch unfold in-front of your eyes.This show may have it's faults, since my review is spoiler free I will refrain from pointing them out and if you're looking for a perfect story then this is not it. So why rate it a 9? Because there's not many shows that can leave me feeling the way I feel now. Through the characters I saw family, i saw love- the characters are far from perfect but that doesn't stand in their way of caring for each-other despite each-others faults, that's what I view as true love- whether platonic or romantic the admiration, the passion, the raw emotions had destroyed me and fixed me in so many ways.
I don't think there will ever be a show that can pull off what 'Not Me' had, and I won't lie i began this show with little expectations only to find a sense of family within the characters and to see a heartening show that stirred so much emotion in me and I could not put it down, I may have watched it in the span of 3 days consistently but during the time I was occupied by my life, my mind returned to thinking about the whole dramas framework and plot. I will forever admire what this show was able to evoke, and I feel like it is a drama I will remember.
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A really good mix of bl and social justice of law
Really loved the story a very new story a completely different situations then usually bl.Loved the cuteness between offgun
The second couple has good chemistry
Shows the social conditions of the society we live in these days and the justice of the law
. This show was in a way realistic to how society is fully of corruption and illegality and still these people get away under the law. But at the end of the day it does serve as a good bl and gives the characters to grow and love between all the action.
Really worth a watch
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