This review may contain spoilers
One of the better Thai BLs I've seen in more than a year!
Despite all the negative comments I read here on MDL, I really liked this one and am going to miss it. Here are my pros and cons:PROS
STORY. Yes, that's right. Sure, there were some moments that suspended belief, but what Thai BL doesn't have those? For the most part, I found this compelling. And, contrary to so many BLs, it actually HAD a story (yes, I'm looking at you, Bad Buddy). Even better, everything was wrapped up in the end, and with no cliffhangers.
ACTING. I really had no issues with the acting. Nat was great as the villain, as was Perth as his conflicted son. Phuwin played his lead role respectably, with some really good moments here and there. Pond was pretty good, as was Chimon (in a part that gave him little to do). And Pawin was delicious as the conniving and underhanded Phum.
OST SONGS. Phuwin has a beautiful voice and I loved his OST. Pond singing was surprisingly pleasant and I enjoyed his OST, played in the ending credits. (As for the rest of the music... what was up with all those misplaced Christmas carols? And that hideous cowboy song??)
CHEMISTRY. Palm was so adorably sweet and protective with Neung. And they weren't afraid to kiss with some passion.
CONS
"ELDERLY" PEOPLE. That dance class for the elderly! The oldest person I saw looked to be maybe 45. What's the life expectancy in Thailand, 48?
"JUST SHOOT ME!" It was either Episode 10 or 11 (I forgot) where three or four of the characters (separately) got themselves in a situation where they felt compelled to scream out "Shoot me! Go ahead, shoot me!" A bit silly.
THE NOTES AND LEAVING. It was annoying enough with Neung did it. It was downright ridiculous when Palm returned the favor in the finale.
Still, none of those were dealbreakers for me. I'm giving it a 9.0.
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KP shippers still trying to keep a good series down.
Its disturbing when there is a mafia series the KP shippers rush to the comment/review sections to attack the ratings of what they view as “competition“ to their beloved KP. I enjoyed this series and you will be missing out if you don’t give it a watch. It’s refreshing to see some of the production companies moving away from the toxicity that have been taking over the BLs recently. Many fan are upset with the size of Perth’s role in NLMG. Why? When he finished his last BL he said he would not be returning to BLs at all. Well that didn’t really work out for him and now he is back, fans should be happy it’s more than a cameo, he definitely couldn’t carry the series alone. I’m actually surprised GMMTV gave him a role at all after his vocal exit tbh. Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. A series shouldn’t just be rated to send a message to the production company that some fans are not happy over how large an actors part is or how much skinship or negative behavior is shown. No worries, Love Syndrome is on the way for all those toxicity loversWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
the writing did not support the interesting premise
Overall: I was super excited for a twisty action thriller but the nonsense/cliche plot turned this into just another teenage GMMTV BL series. Aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel.Content Warnings: murders, attempted murder, beaten up/violence, bullying, blackmail, manipulation, unwanted public outing, drugging, kidnapping
What I Liked
- that the first scene wasn't a flashback or flash forward
- the beginning/first episode hooked me
- Chopper and Ben (Perth did a great job)
- production value (minus my quibbles in Room For Improvement)
Room For Improvement
- there is a lot of nonsense plot things, some of which could have been explained with a few lines or a short scene and that makes it even more ridiculous (one example, a highschooler is a full time fisherman and he happens to fight and shoot a gun really well)
- characters don't feel realistic or have realistic reactions (Palm's interaction with his mother as an example, both of them just chillaxing on their beach vacation instead of how I think most people would be feeling)
- I wanted some plot twists or for this to be different but it's a standard GMMTV romance with window dressing
- the night scenes were too dimly lit, a couple of times the music was too loud over the dialogue
- it dragged in many places, I wanted an action/thriller and this was not it
- Chopper and Ben felt very rushed at the end
- overall I just didn't end up feeling much of anything, scenes that were supposed to make me sad didn't because of the huge plot holes
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You won't even know what hit you
NLMG is not only backed by a compelling storyline (romance or otherwise), great characters, and exceptional BL chemistry – it’s also beautifully produced. With plenty of aesthetically-pleasing shots soaked in warm tones, it’s reminiscent of a doomed summer romance.The obvious main conflict in the show stems from external danger – the threat posed to the Kittrakulmethee family in the midst of a power struggle. But the second, more understated conflict is the power imbalance between Neung and Palm’s family that takes on a class dimension. This is where NLMG proved to be different from other bodyguard storylines.
In NLMG, character development is most pronounced for the young heir forced to grow up in treacherous times. Neung initially comes off as a typical, sheltered (maybe even bratty at times) rich kid but the later episodes will draw out the best of his character. Even on his worst days, Neung is constructed to be likeable and painfully human through it all.
The relationship between Palm and Neung develops at an even pace, with both parties falling (and falling hard) over the course of several delightful episodes. They also have a wonderful chemistry and compatibility – the both of them are fighters at heart; Palm with his fists, and Neung with his wits and spirit.
I enjoyed this show because it was a beautiful, beautiful emotional trip. Some particularly heartwrenching sequences from Pond and Phuwin hit me with some profound emotions that my words cannot adequately capture.
Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/02/28/never-let-me-go-2022-bl-review/
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Makes as much sense and is about as entertaining as an 80's song medley
This may start off as a youth romance but pretty fast takes a turn to the kids acting like adults, with adult gangster problems... or is it corruption, murder CEO problems?Though the drama does have some fluff and a whole lot of cliches, what strikes me the most is the dim beige/grey lighting that ads a slightly depressing filter to the drama... And even though they spend a lot of time at the beach I feel like I keep missing the sun.
The acting could be better, there are some sweet well preformed moments here and there but neither of the leads are very good with facial expressions and emotions. That said both are pretty good at delivering physical scenes as well as action and tension. However the moment they are supposed to feel something it just becomes cringey be it sadness, love (not lust though), anger... It just feels off....
If I were to play a drinking game about finding lines from 80s song, show of abs or the words I will always love you, I would need to get my stomach pumped by the 9th episode or so as the "always", and love confessions come as often as (I will let you use your imagination), only to be disproved over and over again... I love you, I will now leave you, I will always love you... I will run away and if you love me you will not look for me... over and over again or at least that is what it feels like...
That said it is an ok watch, mostly entertaining and fun to watch just make sure to turn off your brain before you start watching it as nothing is consistent, nothing makes sense and the lack of scars as well as the healing power of those young men can put Connect (the drama/webtoon starring Jung Hae In) to shame.
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Well, that happened.
I enjoyed Fish Upon the Sky, and while I noticed the shortcomings of the acting, both leads had good comic timing, and there were good secondary characters to help carry the weight, plus Pond is gorgeous and Phuwin isn't far behind, so I was looking foward to this - I thought for sure it would be campy fun, with a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill having also to get through high school.Unfortunately, the production takes itself very, very seriously, which makes this a cringey, plot-hole ridden mess of inauthentic emotion and weak acting, and the end result is a series that's alternatively frustrating and boring.
It wants badly to be a PG-rated KinnPorche, but somehow missed the campy outrageousness of that series, which made it's giant plot holes features rather than bugs. Here, everything is a plot hole. The violence is gratuitous, very poorly integrated into the story, and without creating any stakes at all, while leaning heavily on cliches and contrivanaces that are just incongruous and silly.
For example, why is this set in high school? What possible reason for this is there other than "BL needs to be set in school"? Why is a billionaire heir that everyone is trying to kill even in high school? Instead of endangering the lives of the entire student body, why not home school, or just not go to school at all, given he's stupendously rich and has a business empire to run (after he's done with swim practice and his homework)? If he's in danger, why would you give him only a teenaged fisherman as a bodyguard? If you're going to do that, shouldn't he at least be able to protect his charge? Palm can't even fend off bullies at a ballroom dance! (Speaking of which, who goes to a ballroom dance at a senior center to pick fights, and why did everyone just stand around while the ballroom dance thugs [sigh] try to beat someone to death for virtually no reason whatsoever except to insert violence?) Being kicked for half an hour only gives Palm a few scratches, so this is an early indicator that there are absolutely no stakes in this series.
Early on, Neung's mother is gunned down at point-blank range by assassins that simply ride through the open unguarded gates of the mansion - I guess nobody thought to increase security after her husband was gunned down - drive to within 3 meters and open fire. And fail to kill anyone or even wound Palm's father (I think. He seemed totally fine afterwards). The boys are sent to a fabulous beach resort to "hide" for their safety, where they frolic all day and Nueng proclaims he's never been happier in his life. Never been happier than the week after he had both his parents gunned down before his eyes and is fleeing certain death? OK, I guess we all have our standards of happiness, and he never gives his mother a thought during this time, so maybe he just doesn't like her.
There is absolutely no plot purpose to the entire beach resort section of the story - it's simply a contrivance to give the couple a honeymoon, because that's where it goes in the formula, whether or not it makes sense. From the wreckage of the underlying novel behind the script, it looks like the author's intention was to put Nueng through hardships which harden and mature him so that he can return and take on his enemies, but all he does is pay off a loanshark and let Palm's mother sacrifice herself to save them after Nueng completely stupidly uses an ATM and then doesn't immediately leave, allowing the baddies plenty of time to stealthily sneak up with a bunch of thugs dressed all in black at a beach resort walking around with photos loudly asking "has anyone has seen these two boys?" Sigh.
Nueng then dumps Palm with the "find a good woman who you can be happy with" cliche which makes me want to BURN THINGS DOWN. Then they get back together because Palm does the "nonconsensual hug from behind" stupid cliche which makes me want to burn more things down. Then Nueng dumps him in his sleep - sleep induced by pills Nueng buys from the sleeziest and shadiest sex motel manager he could find and then puts in Palm's beer. Sure, why not? Nothing could go wrong with that plan. Besides, Nueng is rich, so he could buy his way out of a charge of negligent homicide. Later on it's Palm's turn for a contrived breakup - the third time's the charm, right? I don't know about you, but if you break up three times for completely stupid reasons in the first month of your relationship, are you really meant for each other?
Anyway, Nueng goes home surrounded by bodyguards, and the story more or less picks up where it left off, which raises the question, what are the stakes? Why didn't Nueng have bodyguards before? If it was that easy for a high school kid to seize control of a giant business empire, why didn't he do it before, when he had Palm's father to lean on and help and guide him?
Then, the authors seem to think that walking in slow-motion, speaking in a deeper voice, and being stern is "maturity", when his underlying behavior is foolish, ungenerous, short-sighted, and otherwise stupid. If you want to seize power, do you march around in dark suits and make grand entrances everywhere and go out of your way to announce yourself and your intentions and humiliate and anger your enemy, or do you take him by surprise?
Anyway, Nueng makes a grand slow-motion entrance to his family's hotel accompanied by that "inception blast" - you know, that loud BWAAAAAA! that plays in movie previews whenever something big happens, in order to lend it weight. So he does that, gives a dressing down to his usurping uncle, and announces he's taking power over the family empire. So what's the next scene? The exact same BWAAAAAA! slo-mo entrance... at his high school. Wow, big man, intimidating high school students with hired bodyguards.
From the moment of his return, everything "meaningful" he says is accompanied by the BWAAAAA!, a musical "mic-drop", as if that gives gravitas to his banal pronouncements. Then he's reuinted with Palm at a derelict building - it turns out Palm has been following him around from about 5 feet away for two weeks, which somehow Nueng's guards failed to detect (and so did Nueng) - because a tall, smoking-hot man dressed all in black and a leather jacket every day in tropical weather isn't noticeable or anything. Also, a photographer follows them into the building, again slipping past the bodyguards. I don't think a single bodyguard managed to guard even one body the entire series.
There are lots of other things that just ring untrue, major and minor. For example, someone suffers multiple gunshot wounds. So what does his boyfriend do? Apply pressure to the wounds to limit the bleeding, you might guess? No, he does what any responsible adult does wth a crying baby, and shakes him vigorously and demands he be OK. I suppose it could be an act of love to try to accelerate his bleeding out so he doesn't suffer, but in that case it might be faster to just shoot him a few more times, Almost comically, it turns out the gunshot victim has a spinal injury - yeah, no sh$%, someone was violently shaking him. I suspect our instinct to staunch bleeding is exactly that, instinct - we've evolved to just automatically know to do that. His behavior is only understandable in the context of some sort of narcissistic psychotic disorder - fear of being alone overpowers basic instinct - perhaps to be expected in a person who has the best time of his life right after his parents are gunned down.
And can someone PLEASE explain the Christmas carols. It's very diffiult to concentrate on what's happening when Joy to the World is playing in the background. Why does this keep happening in BL?
Phuwin is good at comedy, but his lack of acting ability is glaring in a dramatic role where he has to play high school Michael Corleone (The Godfather is the clear inspiration for this series - from the romantic exile to the hospitalized parent in danger, to the son who wants nothing to do with the business eventually being forced to take it over and become ruthless. Well, ruthless-ish). This is underscored by the poor casting choice of Perth Tanapon as his cousin Chopper - poor, I say, because Perth is so phenomenal that it's embarassing to see them together in a scene. If he and the also-able Chimon had been in the main roles, instead of criminally underused secondary characters, this series would have been on fire. As it is, the dynamic between Chopper and his father is the most compelling element of this drama and should have been given much more time (Chopper's father is played by super-hot Nat Sakdatorn - they had strong chemistry. They should do an age-difference romance).
In the first few episodes Pond surprised me - he seemed much improved in acting skill, but then he just spent the entire series looking like a kicked puppy, which he does well, but it gets dull.
This is not all bad. The production quality is fairly high, Pond and Phuwin spend a LOT of time in swim trunks, which is good eye-candy, Perth, Chimon and Nat nail every scene they're in, and there are cute scenes between Nueng and Palm, although their romantic chemistry is close to nil, they do have great buddy-energy. If you're a Phuwin & Pond fan, you will probably enjoy this. Otherwise, I'd skip it.
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The bodyguard trope is something that was used SO MANY times in romance media already, but this one is really interesting. Nueng always tried to place Palm by his side as his friend, not as bodyguard. We don't have any kind of power play in here, so even though Nueng is a rich boy and Palm's boss, he doesn't use it to be above him in any way (you don't exist, drunk Nueng).
And obviously, we can't talk about this series without mentioning the AMAZING cinematography. The cinematography of this series is breathtaking. When it comes to BL, this one is easily one of the top ones.
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Sometimes incoherent, huge plot holes esp towards the end, but for the most part pretty enjoyable.
For me at least. Episodes 10 & 11 really brought down this story for me. I feel like Never Let Me Go started out so strong but somewhere along the way it lost its way. It's like the writers lost interest and were just trying to finish it the soonest possible. It was pretty obvious because things started to make no sense. Character motivations sometimes felt out of nowhere and left people scratching their heads with their actions. Some characters were just a waste of space eg Ben and Chopper. Seriously, what was their point in this series? The villain was also laughable. The writers intent was to make him this scary, unstoppable force but in the end he just came out as a clown.Also, something happened with Phuwin and Ponds acting after episode 9. It was very flat and like neither of the two cared how bad their performance was. They just wanted to be done with it and that's that. That's one of the things that took me out of the series and made me lower the rating to 8.5 paired with the plot holes. Aside from that I feel like before they hit episode 10, they were really giving it their all and I was enjoying watching them portray more mature roles compared to their time in Fish Upon the Sky. The story and acting may have been up and down but something that wasn't was their chemistry. That's really what kept me coming back episode to episode. Luckily episode 12 felt like the beginning of the series again both in the acting department and the writing. I was satisfied with the way it ended.
Despite my huge problems with Never Let Me Go towards the end. I still pretty much enjoyed it and thanks to episodes 1-9 & 12 it's one of my favorites of the year. Due to the suspense, acting, chemistry and action aspects of the series. The filming locations were gorgeous. If we ever get another series like this, I hope the writers sit down and watch some of the mistakes they made with NVLMG and improve on them. Overall I give this an 8.5 and would recommend. Despite it's flaws it's still worth a watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Never Let Me Go.. how could I ever?
This drama is off to a promising start. There isn't much for me to go off of development-wise, but I can see a lot of potential with the characters here and the situations they are in.Neugdiao is the main focus of the first episode and he has a great amount of potential here and I'm interested to see how they will develop him. His father died and he is now the heir to becoming the head of a conglomerate.. I've seen things like this before but the tone of this show is very mellow so far so I'm thinking that it won't be overplayed and instead we will see him feel the weight on his shoulders but try to keep it together. He already does not like being called young master, and I can already see several scenarios play out in my head of him breaking down and admitting he doesn't want anything to do with the company he already is destined to be the president of. I don't have anything else I can really say other than speculation, but as for the acting for his character it is done so well. He has a lot of emotion to give in scenes but also has emotions to withhold. It's a tricky character to get right, but the acting isn't fake crying or sobs.. it is really good for a the first episode and I know that this is only the tip of the iceberg for him.
Palm is the counterpart to Neugdiao and they will be the main couple. They have tension in their scenes but it is restricted enough that this drama isn't comedy. It is a breath of fresh air to see something like this come out of GMM, the last show to feel like this was Not Me, and that was so good. I am glad to see another more mature drama from them. Palm's character also has a lot of potential and mystery behind him, which is slowly shown through meeting his mother. She isn’t winning mother of the year at all and it’s heartbreaking when she admits she loves herself more than him. Palm has little to no grounding in his life with parental figures, so I get why he chooses to love Neung. It’s the fact that he chooses to do things for Neung that he is not obligated to, Neung and Palm contrast eachother so much but that makes their dynamic interesting.
Someone who doesn’t know love and the other who knows exactly what it isn’t. Neungdiao had been showered with his parents love his whole life while Palm was cast away. And Palm isn’t the bitter one, instead it’s Neungdiao who feels so sheltered that he expects others to only be nice to him for their own benefit. Palm isn’t going to be a perfect bodyguard because he’s a flawed person, he is in high school and hasn’t trained at all and was asked on a whim. The only motivation to protect Neungdiao initially is his father telling him they have to and are indebted. Really I think it would be horrible if Palm was perfect at protecting him, and I’d much rather have what is shown here. Neungdiao doesn’t need complete physical protection, his emotional state needs to he attended to way more. And Palm loves him naturally and they grow a beautiful relationship.
The settings in this show are new and very good looking.. so is the main cast. The camera work is clean and so is the editing. I really like the direction they are going with this show being more mature. So far it is so promising and I'm happy that GMM is giving us this show. They are taking a step in the right direction with this one.
With the plot holes I just have to say you are watching a drama. The idea is to be immersed and I get that plot holes can pull us out of the drama to a degree. But I really am not a stickler about them with this drama, they are too jarring to me. Instead I’m glad that the drama is taking the risks rather than shying away.
Episode 5 really is a game changer for this show and made me impressed enough.. I am really in awe that this show is delivering where others seem to fall flat. The plot and every scene has an impact on characters and is well rounded as a whole. The payoff scenes deliver so well where characters open up and break down. It is phoneomonal to see this on YouTube really, for the general public to get amazing content like this for free? GMM really is confusing me with this one because it is just so marginally more sophisticated than anything they have done, and they can fall short before with others or take it too seriously.. but Never Let Me Go keeps every aspect of what it delivers so tight nit. The acting over a 10/10, the story isn't too complicated but the characters have depth and keeps it interesting.
Now Palm and Neung are starting their romance and I was thinking how could it possibly be natural? But it is, there are little details of buildup between them that it isn't out of the dark. Palm and Neung have a connection and are just starting to tap into it, with Neung and Palm both being very insecure they can open up to each other and have beautiful moments. I can't really give a review that will give this show justice. I am not overstepping anything though. This show is thought provoking, excellent in every way. I can't find any part to pick apart. Each episode has higher stakes and it gets better and better until you are completely immersed.
This show is beyond a BL. It is two people being able to be vulnerable around eachother, it's not hyper sexualized in any way and is so refreshing to see. When I watch this show I feel respected.
All this praise isn’t me saying the show is perfect. It’s really me saying I enjoyed and looked forward to this drama admist the flaws.
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Anyone hating on this show is a dirty liar.
Probably the best pondphuwin series. I love everything about it : the storyline, the melancolic vibes, the acting, the plaintive lines and fights. The sound track is really great, we don't often watch thai series with an english soundtrack. I feel like gmmtv did really great with this one. Honestly NLMG stands out from most thai bls because this one isn't all rainbows and sunshine. It depicts the life of a sad and lonely and rich teenager who only knew love from his mom, but then slowly develop feelings for a "lower class" boy he met as his family situation worsen. No corny scenes, only pure feelings and emotions. Pond and Phuwin's acting is really great, they did well to portray their emotions. I feel like this type of show suits them better than cheesy ones (me and thee im looking at you).Also the side story is great, not too little and not too much.
Anyways, it's a must-watch if you like withering series.
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Excelent cinematography
The cinematography of this series was absolutely ON POINTT, I loved the colors, they were amazing. The storyline is kind of cliche but definitely worth watching. I also enjoyed the music, especially episode 7/8 can’t remember. The first few episodes made me feel annoyed about Neungdiao but I believe that is the whole point. Palm is THE STANDARD!! I loved him and it felt refreshing having by both parts really supportive parents. If you are wondering wether watching it or not, you should definitely do!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is one of the best bl I have ever seen!
First of all, I really love how every character is flawed, no is really "perfect" here. Staring with nuengdiao, in my personal opinion at very first episodes he acted rude because , he was thinking that everyone thinks that he is a scaredy cat and a rich brat who can't do anything. But, in reality he wanted to blend in with the kids and with palm. Palm's character is a prime example of "can do anything for his lover" which is kinda cliche I gotta admit but, did palm's dad ever show any affection towards him? No, he didn't. He just wanted to make his dad proud. Uncle non is ever grateful towards the family of nuengdiao, that he even forgot about his son by bodyguarding nuengdiao. But, deep down he really cares about him as well.Palm's mom is also a flawed character. She didn't go all gaga over palm when he arrived. Which is the reality. Personally for me chopper is the best character. He is always misunderstood,his dad is an a**** ,chopper is also afraid of rejection just like nuengdiao and is always hurt. Nuengdiao acted selfish when he blamed chopper for his mom's attack and his dad's death, but for nuengdiao's perspective, he is all broken.I would also blame someone who knew about the killings of my parents, suppose. Ben on the other hand, needed time to accept himself. Another thing that is shown here that young teenage people as well as adults can also make mistakes. When we are young we make some bad decisions,Which is completely normal. Nuengdiao rushed for love because he thought no really loves him but he just doesn't know.
Acting:
Pond's acting was just solid 10/10. Phuwin's anger scenes could have been better but he also did an amazing job, so all the other cast members
Conclusion: you can watch this drama if you want some spice in your life. It is not a "typical rom-com" but a different topic which is very good cause inter-caste relationship is shown here which I thing is a great topic to make a show on and thanks GMMTV for those scenes😏
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