Deserves a Chance
I do not get why Hidden Agenda is being dragged so much on this site. Yes, Dunk's acting is subpar, but the rest of the cast are all great, and the story, while not unique by any means, balances non-cringy humor, drama, romantic tension, and surprising revelations really well. JoongDunk's chemistry is insanely good. Watching the two of them bicker as sparks fly between them is high-quality entertainment. The characters are likeable and easy to sympathize with, especially Zo. Yes, he is a chaotic fool, but he is trying! He just needs a little help to overcome his awkwardness and self-consciousness, and he will hopefully get this help [and more] from Joke, who, in case you are worried, is not an a**hole. Going by what I have seen of him as of now, I can even say that he is surprisingly mature, kind, and good at communication for a "cold, handsome, popular" BL lead.Overall, I enjoyed the pilot episode of this series a lot. It is up to you, but if you are interested in watching it, do not let the criticism influence your decision much. Hidden Agenda is not nearly as bad as the other viewers are making it seem. I think that it even has potential to become really good.
Edit: The second episode is a little underwhelming. Except for the debate club scene, its plot is a whole lotta nothin' with clichés on top, especially in the first two parts. This series has the potential to improve, though. JoongDunk are really cute together and have great chemistry, Joke is charming, and some interesting things about the different characters' connections to each other are suggested.
Edit 2: Oh, the sweet, sweet tension between them... *heart eyes* I loved episode three. There is something about JokeZo's dynamic that makes them stand out from other BL couples that I have watched. The way in which their relationship progresses keeps surprising me, and Joke is coming increasingly closer to being my favorite love interest ever in a BL series. If you want something feel-good, funny, and romantic, watch this series.
Edit 3: The more I watch this series, the more I like it. JokeZo's interactions are so natural, so human. Although the plot is light-hearted, the progression of their relationship adds depth to it. JoongDunk's chemistry -- what can I even say? They are on fire in episode four.
Edit 4: Okay, I was defending this series, but now that I have watched episode five and six, I see where the other viewers are coming from. Every character in Hidden Agenda is supposed to have a hidden agenda, but the story does not do a good job at indicating this at all. It should have been building up toward the big reveal, not hiding everything behind a bland plot.
I also agree with everybody who says that something is off about this series. I am feeling the sinister vibes, and I am pretty sure that this is not what the production team was aiming for.
Edit 5: In episodes seven and eight, the plot went through an identity crisis, but JoongDunk's romantic scenes made them worth the watch. I lost count of how many times I have rewatched the bed scene -- it stands out from all other bed scenes that I have seen. Both Joong and Dunk were incredibly convincing, and the scene itself had a gentleness to it that I usually do not see in other BL series.
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Disappointing...
Started and held out for the main actors but other than them it was meh.Lacklustre school setting, boring story and just generally disappointing.
I mean the debate plot was so flat and fake notmany things could've been worse.
Watched 8 episodes, about 5 normally then the rest on 2x speed, got halfway through ep 9 and realised i genuinely didn't care what happened so dropped it.
It was cute and while bad bearable at the beginning it didn't offer alot to warrant sticking around for 12 eps.
Hope the actors can star in something better.
Don't recommend, not even if you like the actors.
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Here for JoongDunk
Honestly, there’s nothing special about this series. But the main actors have insane chemistry, and I think it’s so good that this show is worth watching. I personally really like Zo and Joke’s characters. The side couple is kind of unneeded, though, along with the random stalker that was thrown in. Definitely not GMMTV’s best, but not their worst either!Was this review helpful to you?
We should stick with JoongDunk's YouTube compilations at this point...
Can we stop with these plots that starts with one of the leads pursuing a girl that he has NO connection with? Like, is so overused and boring, it doesn't add ANYTHING useful and interesting to the characters depths and story. But even with that, the beginning was the most interesting and fun part with Joke pursing Zo. Most parts were skippable, and the show was too long for what they had.The acting was not terrible but not good enough to save it. I could see Dunk falling behind sometimes and losing some opportunities when it comes to showcasing Zo's emotions, and Joong was actually fine and had some really beautiful moments. Aou and Boom didn't have many interesting moments, but I really enjoyed this pairing, and I actually wanted to see more of them. Between other support characters, Nita (Jamie) and Pat (Louis) had more impact in the story, and I was particularly happy seeing Jamie in a completely different role right after Home School.
So that's it, if you want to watch just for JoongDunk, as I said in the headline, you should stick with the YouTube compilations, they are far more entertaining.
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I don´t understand why so many don´t like it!
I know it is overwhelming to see all the negative comments!!!But trust me it was a really sweet story!
First of all I understand that it´s the typical old school school romance BL love story so it can be boring for many,
because there are so many that exist already!!
Also they should have wrapped it up after 8 to 10 episodes .. 12 was to long!
Other than that for me it was a very sweet wholesome story of two people falling in love!!
Yes there was a bit of drama but nothing over the top.. they always managed to get back together
and the reasons why there was some drama was also Ok and nothing that people can´t understand!
I get that people want to get other story´s as the same old school classic stuff...
BUT IF u want a classic school love story this is completely fine!
There are many sweet moments and also really good kissing scene´s!
I completely recommend watching it until the end and not stooping halfway thru...
even if there are some parts that they should have made way shorter!
Over all I love Joong & Dunk As a couple and I think they really improved (especially the kissing)
also the second couple was very sweet as well!
I want to see more of Aou & Boom hopefully someday with an own story!
the only thing was that I did not like that there where to many episodes and that Zo´s (Dunk) mom was a bit aggressive in the way to teach her son...she put to much pressure to him! I didn´t liked that at all! But it ended all well!
So please really give it a try!!!!!
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Not the best, not the worst
Unlike it’s title Hidden Agenda is pretty fluffy. Hardly any angst. If you’re looking for an easy watch that doesn’t take a lot of brain power this is the one. Joong’s acting is stiff and Dunk’s acting is awkward, especially when he has to act frustrated. Thing is when Joong and Dunk are together they’re pretty good. Probably because they’re comfortable with each other.I would say my only problem with the writing is the little angst they do have feels like the writers were stretching it. I thought no one would actually get this upset over something like that. If you’re looking for a fluffy and easy watch then try it out. Don’t look for an interesting story with this one.
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Hidden agenda or hidden PLOT?
This was definitely a snoozefest.In 12 episodes I can barely remember anything that happened. Every week a new episode came out I had already forgotten the last one.
Zo is not a likeable character. At any point. Also no matter what happens; big, small, happy, or sad, Dunk's acting stays the exact same. ?
Zo could manage to give the dead whiplash with all the back and forth he put Joke through. Joong was good, I adore him, but even he couldn't save this show. He needs a script that will showcase his talent and a partner who can show emotions and give chemistry.
I'd recommend this if you want something kinda low key, medium angst?
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A cute series with inconsistencies more than needed
I would say Hidden agenda is a good series for a BL. No much complications involved, cute and adorable scenes ,tried to touch many plot variations but what confused me the most is a lot of characters just come and go with no much screen time or premise. Just randomly introduce a person and then just end it abruptly in one episode.For a BL, it is pretty good. You'll get to see a lot of things here , trying to impress your crush, secretly liking someone, being bold and coming out , toxic stalker , family relationships , romantic moments and ofcourse Debate . But, few topics abruptly introduced and quickly ended .
Because nothing was focused more in the plot we actually missed to figure out where exactly did the title come from "Hidden Agenda". What we expect from the title and the trailer was least shown. Would have been a great story had they highlighted this a little more .
Last 2 episodes were a complete disappointment, the dialogues and scenes which were supposed to be thought provoking dint leave much of an impact which gave this series a weak ending.
Watch it , if you enjoy college series and JoongDunk chemistry on screen.
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it's cute
I think this gets to much hate but I thought it was so cute OK it wasn't that original but still very cute and I love joongdunk they are such a funny pair I do like this two better off screen there chemistry is fire ?Was this review helpful to you?
A Good RomCom! Watch With An Open Mind!
I don’t understand why everyone seems to hate this show! I found the basis of the plot interesting and the main leads kept me coming back for more. Their dynamic was great and I had a lot of fun watching this show. Very cute and lots of funny moments!It’s also pretty tame for a Thai BL, so maybe some reviewers who found it “boring” were just looking for something a bit more explicit.
To each their own, I do highly recommend this show if you’re looking for a lighter-hearted funny show with a cute main couple who has really good chemistry. I looked more into Joong and Dunk after I finished the show, their chemistry in real-life ABSOLUTELY translates onto the screen.
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Okay, but Not Incredible
There have been worse, there have been better. I feel like that sums up the story.Overall, the story isn't bad. The cinematography is nice and JoongDunk do have nice chemistry with each other. Other than that, nothing to write home about. It wasn't overtly unique, but it was a decent watch.
I didn't regret watching it, but I think I would like to see how these MLs do with a more mature script. Maybe it's because the college/high school arc is getting old, but I'd love to see Thai dramas in general move forward out of the school era.
Overall: Decent watch, but not life-altering.
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Nice Concept but plot can be develop even more!
I was so skeptical at this series because of the last JoongDunk series that I watched doesn't reach my expectation AT ALL. But this one is much better than the last one. The story started with Zo having a crush on Nita and asking for Joke's help to help him to date her. Though, I like the way they stopped the dating help halfway because of Zo realising his actual feeling towards Joke, I wish they shouldn't stop that way. I wish they could put more conflict like Joke suddenly back to being Nita's boyfriend because of the stalker thing. The concept is good but I wish the plot could have more conflict. The conflict of the series is just love triangle, family issues and thats it. I wish there is more.I have no complain about the characters BUT I just wish that when Zo confront his mom about his feelings of never feel enough, I wish there is more passion, there is more anger. Yes, Zo is a nice person but he has been bottling up his feelings for a long time. I really wanted to see how Dunk's acting with explosion of anger and regret but it seems like that is not going to happen in this series. And both of them facing the same issues are a little bit.. hm.. how do I say... sound like plot is rushed to finish. They could have create conflict of Joke's father is being bias with his siblings more wide range. Like I said, there are no rage and not enough passion in this series that it makes them a little bit boring.
Joke's whole family except for his grandma is A WHOLE FUCKING RED FLAG. I am so mad that no one seems to care about him like ????? How heartless can yall be? Anyway, I still feel that this series have a good concept, moderately develop plot, amazing actors but very little conflict.
JoongDunk deserves better. There, I said it.
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