Secret Crush on You (2022)

BEST LGBTQ REPRESENTAIONS I'VE EVER SEEN!

STORY:
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SCOY is one of my Top 10 favorite BL's. Of all of the BL's I've watched which is a lot. This show has the most diverse LGBTQ representation around. Every letter of the alphabet soup has been marked off!

This show gets a lot of criticism in saying the characters are over the top and annoying. However, when you look at the context of the show the characters are written perfectly. SCOY isn't an extravagant story but rather a simple one about a group of popular kids who fall for a group of "nerds."

What I find most endearing about this show is the message that you can be who you are and the right person will accept you no matter what. While the show is cute and fluffy it isn't without it's flaws.

There were times I wish some of the secondary couples had more development and screen time but that is my own personal opinion. I had hoped we would get a spin off or second season but with the departure of one of the main actors from the agency that is unlikely to happen.

ACTING/CAST
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Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard as Nuea - Nuea is your stereotypical hot guy on campus. Star basketball player and the one people flock to. He runs around campus with his group of other popular kids and at first seems like this too good to be true playboy. Which couldn't be further from the truth. While Nuea did play around once he realized he had a crush on Toh he was fully devoted to him even before they had spoken officially. My biggest pet peeve with his character was that he knew Toh had feelings for him but dragged on confessing for way to long. If he had simply been honest with his feelings he would have been happier longer. I do like that once Nuea did get in a relationship with Toh he kept his playful side and accepted Toh for who he was.

Seng Wichai Saefant as Toh - While one of the main characters of the story Toh is probably one of the most difficult characters for most people to understand. His actions are not logical by any means. He is portrayed as a glorified stalker who collects random objects that his obsession Nuea has touched. If you can overlook that part of his character then you find a simple boy who doesn't know how to properly express himself. Being a nerd having a crush on someone so far above his league he is often depressed in the beginning. However, once he confesses his feelings for Nuea he develops a new confidence that was refreshing. I enjoyed the fact that they left his collection habits in even after the relationship started and that Nuea was able to accept him for who he was.

Surprise Pittikorn Siripornsawan as Khaojao (Jao) - Of all the character in this show which there are many Jao was the one I could relate to the most. His lack of confidence and boy image issues are something personally I have struggled with my entire life. I watched as he grew up right before our eyes. He went from this shy and introverted boy to someone who learned to love and respect others as his relationship grew.

Heng Asavarid Pinitkanjanapun as Sky - Sky is the character I saw have the most growth through the show. He went from being the stereotypical playboy to one of the most devoted, supportive and caring boyfriends I have seen in a BL. He not only cared deeply about his friends but also deeply for her partner.

Opp Weerapong Odhoeng as Intouch - This is one of the characters I wish we would have gotten to know more about. His story line could have been developed so much better as well as his relationship with Daisy. Overall, he's a sweet guy who is respectful and kind.

Nutt Witsarut Khakham as Daisy - Daisy is one of my favorite characters. I was so happy to see a BL discussing transgender topics. My only issue was that while Daisy identified as a female they did not let the character truly flourish with their gender expression. Often in the show Daisy is referred to with male pronouns by her own friends. To be honest, it isn't until about half way through the show that we even find out that Daisy is trans. Which isn't a bad thing but some hints earlier on would have been nicer.

Looknam Orntara Poolsak as Som - Som is the best friend everyone wishes they could have. She was not afraid to call her friends out when they were being idiots. Of everyone I felt like she was the backbone of the friend group.

Dew Nitikorn Pankram as Tor - This character confused me so much. What was his purpose? At first it seemed like he was this dumb jock but then he disappears for a bunch of episodes only to come back and say he's perusing Som. I needed more from him.

Freen Sarocha Chankimha as Kongkwan - Kongkwan is so cute. She is supportive of her friends and she added a bit of comic relief in a few instances when the show got heavy.

Becky Armstrong as Fon - Another character I wish I knew more about. There isn't much to say other than she is a part of the main popular group.

Ging Areeya Pholphutrakul as Prao - The bad guy if you can call her that. Prao is your typical Regina George type character. She is in love with Nuea even though he has expressed multiple times he's in love with someone else. She apparently has the inability to get that from her head. Thankfully they didn't write her to bully the nerds severely and while she overstayed her welcome she didn't do anything that made me hate her character. In fact, you can kind of feel bad for her as Nuea did lead her on in the beginning.


RELATIONSHIPS
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Nuea/Toh - The show's main couple. They had a very interesting story line in which they both had mutual crushes on each other for a long time. Nuea called Toh Van Gouh since for a while he didn't know Toh's name. Toh with his friends called Nuea Red. I liked how pure their relationship was. Neither of them were dating the other because they were trying to get something out of the relationship. They simply liked each other. What surprised me the most was how dedicated Nuea was to Toh. Whenever Toh would question their relationship Nuea would be right there to reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere.

Sky/Jao - What can I say about this relationship? Sky and Jao warm my heart to the core. Many people I know who watched this show say they kept through it for this couple. Sky treats Jao like a king. He not only accepts Jao's insecurity and apprehension but is patient with him as well. He moves at Jao's pace and respects the limits his partner has set in place. I know many fans were hoping for a season of these two so we can see their whole story but I don't think that will happen.

Intouch/Daisy - Intouch is the only person in the show who properly showed respect to Daisy and her gender identity. From the first time they interacted until the end Intouch used Daisy's preferred pronouns and treated her well. During the middle of the show where Daisy decided to act more masculine and be "Day" Intouch didn't push her on the why but supported her along the way. When he noticed that Daisy was struggling with being Day he opened up to her and told her that she can be whoever she wants and he will still love her.

Tor/Som - The couple that never really was? Som and Tor's relationship was never really flushed out. It was more like since they were the last two left in their respective friends groups they were thrust together and that was it. Tor hinted a few times he was interested in Som but the next episode he would be flirting with another girl.

Kongkwan/Fon - These two are adorable and through the show you stop to wonder are they friends or more. Their relationship is never spelled out in black and white but we can assume they are lovers of some kind.

MUSIC
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The music in this show is good. I will say the theme song SCOY was a bit overused. For those who are fans of Kdramas you will understand what I mean when I say it was almost like Descendents of the Sun where something happens and you hear "You are my destiny..." Outside of that nothing was really memorable about the music or sound design for this show.

REWATCH VALUE
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To be honest this is one of the shows I rewatch often. Not because it has an amazing plot but because it is something I don't have to think about to watch. I can turn it on and let it play in the background while working and pick up and be entertained.

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SWEET AND I'M OBSESSED!

Primarily drawn to the series due to my admiration for Saint from Love By Chance, I found myself invested in Secret Crush on You despite his limited role. The first half of the show is undeniably cringe-inducing, accurately capturing the intensity of an obsessive crush. While Toh and Khao's characters often bordered on naivete, their dynamic was undeniably endearing at times. Toh's performance, in particular, was commendable for its extreme yet realistic portrayal of infatuation. Neua's character, though initially one-dimensional, benefited from his strong visual presence.

The supporting cast, Toh's group of friends, delivered authentic performances, showcasing a genuine camaraderie that was refreshing to watch. Despite skipping some unnecessary scenes, the series effectively conveyed the lengths people go to for love. Toh and Neua's relationship, while unrealistic, provided a sweet escape from reality. However, the series' true standout was its original soundtrack, especially "You're Magic in My Life," a captivating tune that added depth to the overall viewing experience.

While the core premise was executed well, the series lacked depth in certain areas, such as the character development of Neua when he discovered Toh's obsessive nature. The potential impact of this revelation was underutilized. Additionally, the character of Prao could have been explored further to enhance the overall storyline. Despite these shortcomings, Secret Crush on You offers a unique and entertaining viewing experience, provided viewers approach it with an open mind and a willingness to embrace its over-the-top moments.

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Matched each other's freaks and mine too

This drama gets so much flack on twitter and tiktok but this is actually peak camp queer romcom.

Short review of the things I like:
- Flamboyant gays as the main character! Like they're not trying to cater for female audience in the sense that the usual cishet women is not the audience for Toh and Daisy's charms. Usually BL leads attempt quite hard to cater to the female gaze but I'm just happy to see more flamboyant gay leads (or "tootsies" as Daisy said in the series)

- Great character development, for everyone.

- the stalking is less invasive than what other people made it seem to be and although Toh crosses the line quite a bit, he learns a lot and is quite sensitive to feedback.

- I love that they don't do a makeover for Toh. Seng the actor is incredibly beautiful and I just appreciate that they kept the bowlcut and glasses - they just made him more and more charming by improving his personality. Showing how charming he is without having to change his looks is an exquisite choice.

- Love the friendship group. Everyone is supportive and cute.

- The comedy is so up my alley. I love laughing out of secondhand embarassment.

- Second lead couple is charming but doesn't steal the spotlight. Perfect balance.

Things I don't necessarily like:
- I hate seeing women fighting over men. Like. Don't piss me off.

Other than that I really enjoy this and would recommend.

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Sometimes it took me 3 days to get thru an episode, but I did make it. There is so much to say about this series. There are so many polarizing aspects to this series I don't know where to start. Seng as Toh needs an award for best creepy actor. I felt weird sometimes with his scenes. Too creepy for me. Seriously he was believable and did a great job. I did like Billy as Nuea...The transition to openly liking Toh was weak and the idea that he actually liked Toh was a stretch for me too. Tohs friends were very supportive and did have some really great moments. Like I said this series had a lot of extremes both good and bad. I loved the idea of the series and it had its moments but I didn't really like either couple...daisy and touch...I could have liked it but I didn't. This is one series that could have trimmed down and I think done better. However they did do pretty well because I believe like me most of the audience saw the extremes as imaginary quirkes comes to life.

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DO NOT DROP IT!

I watched this series 'cause I saw so many people talking about it. I struggled to watch the first episode: Toh is straight up crazy, he looks like a stalker, he barely speaks and has no charm at all. I had to skip some parts or stop the video 'cause I couldn't live with the secondhand embarrassment. I just keep on watching 'cause the comment under the video were all saying not to get discouraged.

So I keep on watching and HOLY MOLY I didn't even realized how much I was engaged!

The story is simple, but the characters are the deepest I've seen in a BL drama. Toh is weird, awkward, a lil bit obsessive, but soon he opens up and reveals his struggles and insecurities, which I believe we all can understand. At first he acts like a parody of the typical fangirl/fanboy, but the development he goes through is UNBELIEVABLE.
Nuea is the softest boy: he never lose his cool, he always tries to understand Toh. It's clear he uses his own body to seduce Toh, but he always makes sure the other one is comfortable, he always makes sure to show how much he actually CARES about Toh and appreciate him even in his weird behavior. Their relationship is so healthy, they both talk about EVERYTHING and even the little tantrums Toh puts on now and then gets away with a smile. Kudos to Billy and Seung, they did an INSANE job with this drama, their acting is just perfect.

About the side couple we get to know: Sky and Jao. They are my happiness, Istg. Sky is a walking green flag: he never gives up to Jao insecurities. And the way he keep on compliment Jao about his body, the way he just keep on love him as he is... We all deserve a boy/girl like Sky in our lives. I was super happy to see the bodyshaming topic being portrait this softly, yet with so many powerful words. If you pay extra attention to Jao's character you can see trough his body language how his insecurities about his body just rule his life; I'll never forget how Jao held on his jacket, covering his tummy while feeling exposed from the pictures some bully upload on social media. It was just so powerful.

Daisy. Omg, Daisy. I cry just thinking about them. Daisy is a transgender woman: they're confident, sassy, a real queen. Yet, when it comes to their loved one, they shows up all their insecurities and goes back to their "male" self - Day. I cried so much when they said how tiring it was to keep it up with the acting. I wish they got more screen time - their story with Touch deserves a series.

The friendship between the characters are so cute: everyone is accepting, they go through a lot, but never lose themselves. In particular, Toh's behavior are NOT accepted by his friend when it gets too crazy. They try to educate him, to make him understand why it is not ok doing his collecting, and even succeed in get a stop in it.

This series is hilarious, so sexy (LIKE REAL SEXY), all about accepting ourselves and the others just the way they are. Topics such as bodyshaming, gender fluidity, safe sex are in it. And I couldn't be more happy about it.
The writer did an amazing job. Congrats to everyone who had part in it!

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show stopping, amazing, one of a kind

I loved this one a lot. It was relatable and funny. The main friend groups screaming about people and just being themselves were a huge part. I just finished watching this about 2 minutes ago, and it ended happily for everyone. I'd say it was dragged out far too long; it's still good, though! I am not going to be picky like most people are; I am giving my honest, three-brain cell response and not trashing on the actors, whom I enjoyed. I am rewatching it again, and I caved and added 5. My god, this is really good. I have rewatched episode 13 nine times in the past two days. This show really grew on me. It is all good; I love the characters, the acting, and the story. Great show. sky and Jao's scenes, bro. The moaning went crazy. holy shit. I am probably going to watch this again. It was really good. I love all four of them. Daisy is definitely my favorite character, if I had to pick one. This was a great show, and I cried once. The second time, you really appreciate everything. great show. The story was good, the acting was really good, the music is stuck in my head, and I have rewatched it a lot, so this is a good show. Definitely watch it.

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tf did I just watch?

I have no clue why the hell everyone seemed to enjoy this.
the actors are good, and their chemistry is great, and YET it's one of the worst things I've ever seen.
and I've seen a lot.

the script doesn't give any development to the characters and try to make some weird ass sht seem normal. but it's still weird. the comedy is all over the place and there were times that I cringed so hard I felt physical pain.

but shout out to my girl daisy!!! I felt like if the story followed more her point of view and showed more depth to the situation of trying to be more masculine it could be something really nice and different from what we've been seing in BLs.
I really liked daisy's pairing too, they were cute.

(and also: the translation on this episode where daisy tries to act more masculine might be wrong, I read about how queer boys in thailand who were effeminate called themselves a particular thai name, but they don't denominate themselves as trans, and at the subs it says as if daisy were a trans girl. and if I remember correctly, it's unclear on which are their pronouns)

anyways, I don't recommend it. unless you like pain. or you'll just skip everything just to see the 5 seconds of good content it has.

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Complete whack but fun (kinda)

"What the heck am I watching?" - Me, at least 20 times in the first 4 eps.

I have to say I'm so fricking glad Toh and Nuea take each other off the dating market, like y'all whackos deserve each other.
It's so over the top and camp, you need to accept that or else this is not gonna be the drama for you. It has some funny moments as well which makes it fun to watch.

Multiple people said the worst of the campness is in the first 4-5 episodes and truly, it gets much better afterwards. SCOY is enjoyable just by watching BillySeng's chemistry. It's great honestly, I am tempted to watch their other work just because I wanna see their chemistry together again. Their acting is good, love the whole popular guy - nerd dynamic.

Besides that, there are plenty other side couples without focusing too much on too many pairings at the same time (like in Between Us for example). They are also great and cute.

What I really appreciate about this drama and really liked is how we have a trans/nonbinary character. The friendship group talks about their struggle about their identity and honestly, the scene really stuck out because it was suddenly very serious and very emotional. Som was my highlight there. She is an amazing female character. Unfortunately, we don't get a lot of them in BLs since there are either a) barely any girls in BLs or b) if there are, they are often antagonists or pretty much insignficant.

Something else I found very interesting is that, we see an actual condom. I don't mean just the packaging but they actually take it out. Like, I've never seen it before in a BL if I remember correctly. Definitely cool.

Overall, if you can overlook the craziness of Toh, it's fun.

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Cringe

**Brief Synopsis**
B (Student): Toh
T (Student): Neua

- Beginning: B has a crush on T but isn’t in the same circle as him. But one day he takes a picture of T that gets popular and T notices him.

- Middle: He start spending more time with T and realizes that he might like him a little bit too. They ended up together.

- End: Story ends with them together.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
N/A

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- The acting is really cringey. B’s friends are very cringey and B looks like a creep. All his actions are exagerated, making it unbearable to watch. I don’t understand why it is only with him when T and his friends seem perfectly normal. It’s really difficult to watch when you can’t even like the main character. If B had been normal and less extra, I would have loved this show because I really like T and I love the concept (I read some reviews saying it was fluffy, I think I agree).
- Their relationship seems really superficial. There is a lack of buildup before they got together. I really don’t understand why anyone would like B. I only continued watching wondering if B will change but he doesn’t.

**Conclusion**
An OK watch but probably won’t be revisiting.

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So cringe?

Honestly im dissapointed by this drama cuz i thought/ expected it to be a lot better. First of all it was so cringe to watch because of toh's actions every two minutes i felt like it was to cringe to watch. Just before the last episode i gpt used to it a bit but to say its cute? No. I also feel like the storyline could have been better cuz there was not alot going on . Im proud i finished watching this, because i could have just dropped it halfway and im also disappointed cuz i was looking forward to watching it but it turned out to be a drama that was not worth watching for me. Would i recommend it? I dont think so, or maybe for the people who like a more cringe, boring, simple drama where there is not a lot going on

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Interesting.

Okay… wow

Pros:
The acting was good.
The soundtrack was okay
The friendship dynamic was amazing.
The chemistry between couples was good.
The overall cinematography was well done.

Cons:
Seng’s character Toh.
The second hand embarrassment I felt.
The toxic and very creepy obsession.

The thing I hated most:
Toh was a full on stalker and everyone acted like it was okay. As a victim of stalking it was frightening to watch and have the light hearted spin put on it. It is not okay no matter what, so it was hard to view Toh as a protagonist and have sympathy for him.


The thing I liked most:
I liked how if one of the four friends were going through something they all supported each other, would cry for each other and would be there for each other no matter what.

I really hope to see Seng and Billy and Surprise and Heng in other series together with seng having a good character.

I don’t plan on rewatching this at all.

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