GAP (2022)

It's just amazing

When I first came across the pilot trailer a few months ago, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I mean of course I knew that I could expect a whole lot of gay, but maybe because I didn't know what the concept of pilot trailers meant for the thai tv show industry, or maybe because I was preoccupied with other shows at the time, I didn't think much of it. Then, after I forgot about it completely for like a good few months, I came across the first episode; it didn't even show up in my recommended, I just saw the video pop up on the side when I was watching something else and guess what...I was hooked (I ended up binging the 2 episodes that had already released). I don't know if this has ever happened to me before, I can't remember; waiting for every Saturday, waiting till my computer clock shows 11:30 am, knowing that that meant I could finally watch a new episode of GAP. And boy, I will admit that I wasn't convinced by the acting right away, nor was I obsessively rooting for the couple, relative to now. But damn was I wrong. The acting, even the crying, that was maybe a little too sudden, in episode 2, got so much better. Don't get me wrong, the cliches, the questionable cuts throughout episodes that people mention a lot; I get it, I agree (for the most part), but, and trust me on this one, it's worth it. The couple is just that good; FreenBecky just really know how to bring a couple, a series, a fandom to life.

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First GL series that I fell in love with, Main cast where superb, the acting skills really exceed my expectations and twists and plot is really amaxing. Sam and Mon really have a great chemistry on and off screen. Every episode is giving us an excitement, laughter, sad moments and giving us bitterflies in our stomach. Best GL series so far and I think this will be the hardest and the toughest one to beat. Really the best so far. Freen and Becky did a really great job though theyre new actors but they continue to grow in their craft. Have much respect for them in portraying those characters, really nailed it.

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Clichés done well

This was my first GL and I absolutely loved it! The storyline did seem a bit cliché, but I am a sucker for such stories (age gap, social gap), so I did actually really liked that. The chemistry between Freen and Becky is absolutely amazing!

The storyline is very good, even if it is a bit slow at times. There are certain areas that I feel like could have been done differently – in particular, the side characters / couple as we don’t really get to know much about them, but I found the little interactions between Tee and Yuki absolutely adorable. Also, the character of Cher and the way she treated Sam were amazing. She didn’t get much screen time, but she totally stole the show. I am kind of disappointed that we didn’t get much of a story relating to Nita, I think it could have been used for a conflict in a better way.

I do like what the show did with the representation when it comes to lesbian characters. However, there were still some problematic sides to how they did this. I hate how comic relief trans characters are a norm in BL / GL dramas. This is a problem I have with many dramas, not just Gap, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

Lady Sam is a complex character. She does appear very cold, reserved and arrogant, but getting to know her story, we can quickly tell that this is her way of surviving. She is independent and strong, but at the same, she falls victim to her grandmother’s manipulations every time. And that does make a lot of sense – Sam finds family very important, and with having no one else but her grandmother who also raised her since she was a child, she doesn’t want to lose her as well. Even if that means sacrificing her own happiness.

Mon is absolutely adorable! At first she seems to only be cute and sweet, but as the story progresses we also see her more mature side as well as her becoming more confident in her relationship with Lady Sam. I did find Mon’s idolization of Lady Sam a bit annoying and a bit problematic. I really like what they did with the public information of Lady Sam being mostly fake, which put both of them into an equal position when it came to getting to know each other. Sadly, Mon was still idolizing Lady Sam to the point where she forgave her some very hurtful things way too quickly. She does come across as a bit of a pushover.

Kirk is a character I cannot skip. He has his flaws, and he has made some dumb decisions, and while some were led by good intentions, others were led by his arrogance. But with where he is coming from and with the support he has, we couldn’t really expect anything else. I don’t think we can say he was manipulated by grandmother in the same way Lady Sam was, but she definitely holds some sort of power over him as well. Kirk wasn’t necessarily evil, but I think he was arrogant and entitled. But he did kind of come through when it mattered, even if I think he could have done better.

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a heartwarming & addicting watch

Truthfully I rarely finish shows but this one had me hooked ! While the acting and chemistry were a little confusing to me at first it quickly became very beautiful. The leads were phenomenal and by the last episode the chemistry and emotions were off the charts, I cried so much ! I love how realistic it felt too. In many romances I find that when the leads have conflict they can be very tropey or one-dimensional. Sam and Mon however felt very human to me, their personalities and characters were really well developed, and the conflict plot points were well done, even though truthfully they did have a tad too much conflict sometimes. But it was still very realistic and beautiful to me. I really recommend this show to anyone interested!

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The First Thai GL Celebrated All Over the Globe

One of the first GL series from Thailand, "Gap The series" was a well-received and appreciated show, that broadened the scope of the GL industry. In an industry monopolized by the Boys’ Love genre which mostly focused on the love story between two boys, it was nice to see a lesbian love story. The show was nicely paced, being a sweet and cozy workplace romance between a boss and subordinate, with one being cold but sweet and other being a ray of sunshine.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/27/gap-the-series-series-review-ep-1-to-12/

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First, and hopefully not last.

The first full-length Asian GL ever. The story is a typical CEOxEmployee office romance, with a touch of queerness. I want to, with all my heart, thank and congratulate Saint Suppapong, for paving the way to other GLs and for the popularity this drama has gained. He said, in an interview, that people close to him told him that it's a risky idea; so I want to thank him, once again, for not getting discouraged and not giving up on this show. I actually, wanted it to give it a 9.5, but changed my mind, seeing that it's a first in this industry. Although I hope, that it isn't the last.

STORY:
A basic romance one, with a ton of angst. Mostly coming from the fact that they are a female couple. But social class takes a role in that, too. I do like that Kirk , Sam's fiance, didn't turn out to be a total jerk:)))

ACTING/CAST:
I rarely cry, I'm not an emotional person, at least on the outside. But this GL made my eyes fill with tears a handful of times, and made the tears run across my face a few. What I'm trying to say is, they acted the emotional parts extremely well, especially in Ep 11 in the beginning of part 2. FreenBecky did extremely well for rookie actresses, but I also think that actress Mind, playing Nueng, did amazingly well for the little amount of lines she did. The actresses playing as Sam's friends were hilarious, and the Irin, playing Mon's friend did great, also. Actor Heng, who I have not seen for the first time (SCOY) did not disappoint me, yet once again. I think that the actress playing Grandmother is underrated because she made me hate her, and when she had to became a "good character" I felt empathetic enough to like her again.

MUSIC:
It wasn't bad, I especially like the saxophone in Ep 11.

REWATCH VALUE:
Why wouldn't you rewatch the first GL ever, after tons of them (hopefully) get produced after? I'd love to, to remember how it all started.

OVERALL:
Spectacular. I love Saint for initiating this, and everyone who contributed to this for their hard work. The story is typical, but it's a wlw. So what are you doing here? Go ahead and watch it.

Princess likes you!

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One of the best GL series in my opinion

I don’t usually binge watch a series but when it comes to great GL storylines, I’m hooked.

Love between two women is something worth watching and in my opinion, it is one of the best series I’ve seen. I’ve already watched it nearly 10 times and the chemistry between the two protagonists Sam and Mon is quite fantastic.

The pure love of Mon to melt Sam’s coldness is lovely in itself. There are some questionable camera angles that I found confusing at times, but nothing beats the loveliness between the two, I look past the angles, and focus on the angels.

Overall, the soundtrack was cool, mystifying, romantic, the story can be an emotional rollercoaster, but you just have to watch it for yourself. Don’t take my word for it, everyone has their own opinion and we should respect that. After writing this review, I might as well watch it again from the top.

FreenBeck for life ❤️

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The best GL series for me as of the moment.

For me, this is the best gl series!!! I love everything! Lots of rollercoaster feeling. The comedy is so good. Their mini game especially the trade between sam and mon is very unique. The story is really good. Others might felt cringey especially first episodes but keep watching, maybe until ep 5 but if you still dont like it then the series is not for you. Freen and becky are so good here and they really have a good chemistry. I am so crazy over them that it is not healthy anymore haha You always have something to look for every saturday but now, it is down to 2 episodes. I hope there will be more series or movies of Freen and Becky in the future but I am also good if they have their own projects, will still support them so they can grow as an actress too.

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In between the GAP was madness

GAP was a waste of time. I watched episodes 1-3 normally, 2x episodes 4-6, 3x 7-9, and skimmed episodes 10-12 so basically I’m dropping this at episode 9 though I saw the ending. I understand that this is one of, if not the biggest GL series from Thailand right now but the show did not need 12 episodes to tell its story. The plot was interesting but the delivery was unhinged.

Pros:
- The plot
- Some of the outfits were cute. Sam’s outfits, house, and car fitted her lavish lifestyle.
- Ampere Suttatip Wutchaipradit & Yo Tassawan Seneewongse

Cons:
- The actresses. Rebecca is a good “Mon” but I cannot invest in Freen as “Sam”. Nothing about Freen screams ‘I’m a hardass, rich b*tch that everyone fears’. Even Freen’s RBF (resting b*tch face) is NOT intimidating. Instead, she looks as if she’s always pouting. Her speech and voice color is also not terrifying. I have nothing against the actress as I simply don’t know her but she did not make a good ‘Sam’.
- The characters. I hated all of them but Tee, Yuki, Noi, and Kirk. Nop is okay but that’s kind of it. He has no life outside of Mon’s story. Then again, no one really did. Mon’s stepfather was cool but the way they kept pushing Mon towards Sam was just odd. Mon’s mom is the show’s scapegoat, in order for Mon and Sam to be together, Mon’s mom makes poor decisions after poor decisions that would force them to be together.
- I detest that Sam was coined as someone who always says the opposite of what she means because WTF was all that firing and work-related things in the beginning about then? When does it begin and when does it end? Does her indirectness apply to work, too? If that's the case then all those employees who got fired need to come back. How is anyone supposed to take her seriously when she’s an indirect person? Do you just get to decide what she means depending on your relationship with her and hope for the best? I don’t get it. I mean, no wonder Grandma and Kirk didn’t take her seriously when she wanted to call off the engagement. You can’t take her for her word. Stupid.
- Sam is friends with the trio that bullied Mon when they were younger. Okay, small world.
- Sam and Mon don’t consider biting lips, making out, and having sex cheating on Kirk. Oh, okay…I guess it’s not cheating if it’s same-sex or as Sam liked to claim ‘girl friends do this’. I don’t remember suckling on my friends’ lips but whatever you say Sam. Because of course, we’re also supposed to take everything you say at face value, right? Righttttt.
- Sam appears to care about her business but does absolutely nothing to expand or grow it. We don’t even see her applying her talent or skills. She rejects Kirk’s idea of a joint business just because. She threatens to fire employees who do not bring her and her company good or successful work ideas. She hands out tasks that we never see come into play. I’m shocked her company lasted five years when the employees are clearly the brain of the company but they’re being fired left and right for anything and everything. The work environment she’s built is purely toxic and she didn’t get enough shit for being a horrible boss.
- There are always talks of working but we never see them work. Sam clearly doesn’t care about work once she’s got a taste of Mon’s lips.
- Mon is frustrating to watch. She’s like a little robot with pretty privilege. The girl has three, maybe four, expressions at most. She forgives everything right away after some late nights crying. I don’t know why she’s seen as someone amazing or great. She completed one project and never kept up with it; her co-workers had to update the audience and her of her finished work. Make it make sense.
- Mon and Yuki both are sucky friends though Yuki at least seems to care about Mon. Mon is painted as kind and gentle but she always belittles or scoffs at Yuki’s problems. It beats me why Mon has friends at all.
- Sam is the biggest hypocrite. She made the rule that fired two employees at the beginning about dating (and why did Mon act like a kid who didn’t understand the concept of office romance? She asked even after she was told and warned about it three times!) then she started dating when she hasn’t called off the engagement with Kirk yet. Kirk can’t keep secrets from her but she has no problems stringing him along. She calls Yai and Chin’s cheating ‘immoral’ but sees her cheating on Kirk as fiction because she ‘doesn’t love him’. Guess I missed the part where it’s only cheating if you have romantic feelings for more than one person even if you’re engaged or married. I thought the show and characters said Sam was clever. Clever, where?
- Yai, clear as day, condoned cheating twice (and it's not just Yai. All of Sam and Mon's friends and families did. Not a one told them they were cheating on Kirk. All of them suck. All of them are horrible.). “You can’t help who you fall in love with” might be true but you can always control your actions. Being a homewrecker because of a crush isn’t an excuse. It’s a crime, thank yew very much.
- This part bugged me the most. Sam slut-shamed Mon, loud and clear. In public, in front of Nop, and how was this cleared up? Sam who was clearly angry and jealous at the time twisted it later on to say that she wasn’t done talking. That it was meant as a compliment because the slut Sam shamed Mon with is a pretty, clever, and hard-working individual just like Mon. Gee, thanks? There are plenty of pretty, clever, and hard-working women out there that aren't cheaters or sluts but I guess if the only one you could think of was a slut then we’re taking it. It’s not like you were mad when you said it, you were just jealous. Though I personally might have said Oprah, Mrs. Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Tokiko Shimizu, Tam Debhakam, or my favorite actress Yaya to avoid misunderstandings. The best part is, Mon forgave Sam right away because Sam said she was ‘jealous’. Oh, my freakin…I couldn’t deal. I had to pause the show before I punched my computer screen.
- The dinner scene in episode 9 was borderline unnecessary. One, Sam had it set up by the housemaid as per Sam’s apology to Mon. Why couldn’t Sam just pull out three placemats and one 1800s candlestick to showcase her sincerity was beyond me. Two, the production team refused to and purposely chose not to shoot the table itself and it gave low-budget reasoning. Three, the revelation was so poor I almost choked on air. Mon’s ‘wow’ was giving fake energy. Nothing about the table was wow but the 1800s candlestick.
- The GAP between Sam and Mon in terms of age and social status is interesting but we never felt it. I never feel that there is a gap of eight years because they’re both emotionally and mentally 12.
- This is just me nitpicking but Sam was holding the photo album of Mon in episode 9 and while talking to Mon’s parents, it vanished into thin air…? Where did it go? It was nowhere in her proximity when the camera zoomed out. Continuity error.
- The music wasn’t terrible but wasn't memorable either.
- This show should have been about Tee and Yuki. With Tee’s senses and logic, and Yuki’s communication skills, we would have gotten GL series of the year that wasn't this but I digress.

Had the series focused on Sam and Mon working together, building their relationship in a natural way, and less on their childish love life, I think the balance would have kept the show more realistic, less repetitive, and enjoyable to watch. The build-up of their relationship was no fun at all and they failed to show us just how important the company is to Sam. This was a big miss and one I’ll never want to see again.

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