Not Me

Less Rhetoric and More Stories

I was excited about this series. It looked dark, and dingy with A+ actors such as Gun and Off, but I walked away very disappointed. I have been to Thailand and I know about the political protests, but in my opinion, there was way too much moral grandstanding and preaching. I felt like the writers took 1960's American talking points and wrote a story around it. To me, this is an example of the elites, grooming other elites to be "revolutionaries," but who will probably be authoritarians themselves when they take power in the future (e.g. look at the leaders who imposed pandemic lockdowns, travel restrictions, freezing bank accounts of protestors, throwing protestors in jail without bond, etc). They missed opportunities to present problems that poor Thais face (except for Yok's mom), and chose to use rhetoric instead. In social science classes, we are always reminded that by sitting in a chair at university, we are by definition elite, regardless of where we start in life. Yok is the only member where you see a person living in poverty with a disabled single parent. Since this is fiction, of course, he is probably on his way to becoming a famous artist, and he saves himself (successful artists become rich) at the end by describing proletariats as a state of mind, not SES, or class. Instead of white savior syndrome, it's university educated syndrome, reinforcing that a formal education is the only pathway to a meaningful future. This is just my amateur opinion.

The acting was top notch, and I could see a difference between Black and White, that's how good Gun's acting was. I think that Gun deserves many acting awards for this role. I enjoyed seeing him paired with women partners too. Off has really grown as an actor as well, and he has gotten over his awkwardness when he has to do intimate scenes with Gun. I especially liked that they didn't use the normal filters, so we could see the actors' pores, blemishes and lines on their faces. The sets they used were just as gritty and grimy, fitting with the tone of the story. I felt that Black and White disowning their family was another 1960's cliche, and it made it seem like, all people working in government and the legal system are morally corrupt people.

I'll only rewatch if I fast forward through all of the rhetoric. Had they spent less time on rhetoric, and more time focusing on the characters (Yok's mom could have used more screen time) and people who are really struggling, I think that I would have enjoyed it more.

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Satisfying In All Aspects!

(No spoiler until the bottom of the review)
This is the most fulfilling series! The acting, script, cinematography, music, production value, everything! The show is not 100% perfect, but it still FEELS like a 10/10. The mood it set, the tension that was built, the deep bonding between characters... it hooked me immediately and kept me enthralled throughout. I didn't fast-forward through anything, it was all worth watching.

Everyone is perfectly cast! Gun especially did a fantastic job as the two twins White and Black. His energy, the way he carried himself, and the look in his eyes were so distinct between them. Phenomenal acting. All the characters, even the secondary ones, felt like fully-fleshed people. The script, acting, and directing all supported this. I became invested in almost all of the characters! And I loved the different group dynamics.

I loved how this was done: It's hard to describe but it felt like the focus was on the slowly built bond and trust between White and Sean, NOT on the romance of it. Yet when it did become romantic, it was immensely powerful because of how carefully their connection had been built up. It felt so real/realistic and filled me with warmth, happiness, and satisfaction.

The politics of the story was interwoven very well with the plot. I appreciated that it often gave arguments from opposing viewpoints and mostly didn't feel too heavy-handed or preach-y. Instead it was easy to invest in the group's goals and root for their cause, even if they had disagreements amongst themselves (or with others) on the best way to go about it.

Most of the time I wasn't conscious of what the background music was doing. I like that because it means it was an effective support and not a distraction. Whenever I did notice it, it fit perfectly to enhance the emotions I was already feeling.

I already know this is a show I will watch again and again, at least once a year. It has filled my heart full of feelings and prompted some thoughtful thinking.

GENERAL SPOILER on the ending:
I liked the ending. It felt like a natural lull in a story that would continue. A time when our beloved characters are in a good spot even though their fight is not over. They still have goals they want to accomplish but we are able to be hopeful with them. It felt like a satisfying end to the show but didn't feel like an end to their story. Beautifully done.

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Not Me, Not You, But Everyone...

I recommend this series 110%. The plot, the acting, cinematography, everything was amazing. You learn some real life lessons along the way when dealing with an oppressive government; one being that not everything, especially the characters, are black or white; Well besides the twins who are actually named Black and White...From the struggles the gang of college kids went through together for justice to the heartbreak some faced, it was a great journey to be on. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a strong case of second couple syndrome cause I did, tho main couple was great in their own way, had me rooting for them too. The unexpected ghostshiping was also strong at times hahaha. Soundtrack was good, nothing I paid too much attention besides intro song, mainly cause I was busy bawling my eyes out. So yes I also recommend lots of tissues for your tears. That's all I'll say without being spoilery. Would definitely rewatch it in a heartbeat.

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Totally Worth It~ And Not Just Because of OffGun lol

BASICALLY: 9.5
Let me start this off by saying: I didn't like the book. For several reasons, but this isn't a book review, so I just wanted to say that. Even though I didn't like the book, though, the series is almost COMPLETELY DIFFERENT so far. Like, eons apart. Like, the only similarities are the main five-ish characters, their names, and the friendship between the main four (Black/White, Gram, Yok, and Sean), which is proving to be almost nonexistent in the most interesting twist. White fully expects his brothers friend to be more... friend-like, but what he finds are a group of people together because of a common cause: eat the rich, bitch. Well, not quite, but basically, and I love it, tbh~ The issues discussed and the problems they're trying to fix are important in EVERY country, and I'm glad they made it more about the political issues and rich vs poor struggles rather than the bland, too-predictable crap that the book turned out to be (I was REALLY disappointed in the book, okay?).

ACTING: 10
OffGun~ I mean, 'nuff said, right? They're one of my favorite, OG BL couples. Their acting has improved, because p'Off is generally a funny, joking kinda guy, and we get NONE of that with Sean, who's serious, studious, and always learning. P'Gun also does a great job of showing us the contracts between Black and White: Black, who had to grow up in a harsher environment thanks to his mother, who refused to change, and White, who's grown up with a silver spoon. Black is hardened, while White is optimistic and caring. It's awesome, and p'Gun does a great job showcasing the difference from the beginning. If I were Sean, I'd be confused as hell, too, and the confusion every time White (who cares) has to correct himself and be Black (who would abandon anyone if it meant furthering his goals) really shows on Sean's face. I love the friends, too! I'm interested to see what they do about Gram since he's got his own romantic interest in the book~ Yok does too, but they've completely changed it (in the best way, I swear), so that hypes up the anticipation more~

MUSIC: 8.5
I know it's a bit of a low rating, especially since I love the opening song, but the rest of the sound track is so-so. It's probably because I'm watching Bad Buddy at the same time as this, and the OST in Bad Buddy is purely *chef's kiss*, but it's not as enticing. The opening song is awesome, though, and I definitely saved it to my Thai playlist as soon as I could~

OVERALL: 9.5
It's only episode 4, cupcakes, and I'm already invested. I can't wait to see what happens~ I hope they make a genuine change in society, to be honest, because the characters' stories (especially Sean's) just make me wanna root for them~ And I can't wait to see how the White/Black and Sean is handled, and how White falls, and just all of that great things that makes you wanna watch~ I'm the type of person who waits until the series is over, but I just love it so much at this moment, that I can't wait~

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#NotMe #NotYou #NotGramBlack

So I waited until the week episode 11 premiered to begin Not Me. Once it started, I could see why it was so popular, even without OffGun, I really enjoyed the humor, the mystery elements, the politics and class consciousness and queerness of the series, and what I thought would be this big reckoning when Black woke up/White figured out who hurt him.

I feel like the first half of Not Me was doing a lot of set up and tension building and creating all these possibilities and the last arc, for me, just didn't meet those expectations they set. The Tawi plot is not resolved/offscreened. The gang spends most of the series operating outside the system and then offscreen surrenders themselves to the system. And I'm still wondering what the point of the GramBlack scenes/hints were if it was also leading to nothing.

I think the plot on paper and the strength of Gun's acting for Black and White is what has kept this series relatively high for me. I like that it's more mature and that it has a political/class conscious POV. I feel like it the back half could have landed the plane better Not Me could have been a top series for me. But I don't think it will have a lot of rewatch value outside of Black's scenes because the plot set up of the first episodes is not concluded well.

I like this series, I thought I would love this series, but the last arc was a bit of a letdown, outside of Gun's phenomenal portrayal as Black.

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BL, but a focus on social economic issues

I wouldn't say that Not Me is a BL in its essence. Yes, the main characters fall in love, but there is more than that. The characters bond over their motivations to make Thailand (or the world in general) a better place by challenging its justice system and by exposing injustices performed by rich people in power specifically. OffGun as always have knocked it out of the park with this one. Their acting is so extremely believable and detailed, you forget they are acting at times. Every single character is given time to shine, and White is able to connect with many of them on a deeper level than Black was able to.

There are parts in the series that show how Black acted towards the other members of the gang and the stark difference is incredible. You really believe that White and Black are completely different people, but they are performed by the same person! From the way he talks and his mannerisms, everything is different and you can feel the tension. I highly enjoyed the drama. I binged the last half of the show in two days because I just really wanted to see how it would develop and end. I even cried during the last episode with the crowd of supporters. I think this BL is not only good, but it is also important. This series is a statement, and I believe that there are some valuable lessons to be learned from this.

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What a surprise!

I put off watching this one when I saw it in my YT recommendations because it's not my favorite BL pairing and I'd gotten a little burned out on the usual gmmtv fare. But I read the synopsis and thought it might be sort of interesting.

But it's unusual to see such overt political themes in BLs so I wasn't expecting it at all, and through most of it I was expecting some sort of redemption arc for the system the story sets as the villain. But insisted they really handled a lot of difficult questions with nuance and care.

Overall it was a great story done really well, the whole cast did a great job. I was really gripped by the characters and plot all the way to the end.

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NOT ME isnt just a drama

as the headline says NOT ME isnt just a drama, but a show that has captured the essence of young people fighting against the system, and finding small light rays in the dark.

-might sound overly dramatic, but the drama is one of few that gives the full picture of captialisme and human rights. From the rich using money as a sheild to the poor struggling in bad work conditions.

The story is interesting and i never felt bored as its packed with action and tension between the couples.
I'm not gonna spoil it for the lucky ones who planned on watching it for the first time- yet its imposibble not to mention how well the couples are, the tension, dialogue and character traits that make every character so interesting and memeorable.

short said, NOT ME is more than worth watching and a drama that have moved BL into dealing with more serious themes.

thanks for reading - Fridazzz

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Top tier

One of my top 3 favorite dramas, everything from the music choices to the story line about issues many face in society today, to the romance is so well constructed. The characters each have their own drive and means for what they are doing and how they react to the situations they are put in, they are each a turning gear in a story that strives to show how corruption from power can trickle down into everyone’s every day life, and how with White, growing up with power was something he wasn’t aware of even having, and how he benefited from it without being aware of the system. The romance is a bit of a slow burn, but it has sparks from the get go, and is worth the wait.

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It will be one of your favorites!

This show ties with Bad Buddy for my favorite BL and it made me fall for Gun immediately. (I watched Theory of Love afterward but I prefer Not Me). The acting, directing, and OffGun chemistry are fantastic. This series combined BL with high quality suspenseful action drama. So far, I haven’t seen any other BL come close. I’ve rewatched it a few times now and I know I’ll watch it again! The one tiny drawback is a few moments where the stunts are silly. You’ll know when you see it lol. There may be a few details of the plot that are confusing, but I think it makes it more interesting to rewatch. I truly believe that once you start watching it, you’ll be hooked!

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A very different BL experience

You know how we keep complaining about Thai BL’s featuring the same old tropes and clichés? Well Not me, decided to break almost all of them.

The story of the good twin taking the place of his sibling with the intent to avenge him, is not a first in the movie/drama world, but what makes it unique is that the twins here are Black and White. I absolutely fell in love with the two polar opposite brothers who came from similar lifestyles but took on completely different perspectives on life, and who by the end of this drama choose the same goal, but different paths. They are the same, as brothers and due to their bond, that is almost unshakable despite their differences and the same time they couldn’t be more different with their personalities and how they choose to attain their goals.

Another thing I love about this show are the grey characters, namely Sean, Black and Gumpa. They seem come right off the bat as potential murderers, as if they don’t care who lives or dies for their goals, but they show immense ability to help and protect. They are all so easy to hate as well as love, especially Black and Sean.

When it comes to relationships, the contrast between White and Sean and Dan and Yok kept things lively. I didn’t feel particularly good about Gram’s connection with Eugene. It just seemed a little too disconnected.

The plot had a solid foundation but was not as cohesive as I hoped. There were a lot of moments I just wished were better explained or never mentioned at all.

The villains in this drama are mostly symbolic, as the show brings them in often but didn’t give them a chance to shine as many dramas do these days. They were meant to showcase a corrupt and privileged cycle of exploitation and crime. While that is understandable, the formulation for the villain portrayals and the actors who took on the roles had a lot of potential to make their roles stellar. The drama fell just short of good there, as it just brought on the feeling that there could be more.

Overall a good drama, and I recommend watching it to widen your BL and Drama horizons. I’ve got to say, I always thought of Gun as a cute but not particularly attention grabbing actor until now, but his performance as Black and White was exceptional.

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