Only Friends

เพื่อนต้องห้าม ‧ Drama ‧ 2023
Completed
BL Compilations
19 people found this review helpful
Aug 12, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 8.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

mostly a good mess

Overall: the trailer promised a bunch of flawed guys in messy relationships and it mostly delivered but some things didn't work for me. Aired 12 episodes about 45 minutes each on GMMTVs YouTube Channel

Content Warnings: manhandling, vomiting, manipulation, non con touching, non con recording/sharing, voyeurism, past attempted suicide, alcoholism, punches, drug usage, queerphobia

What I Liked
- they introduced the characters well, I could tell who they were and their relationships to one another
- some good showing not telling, just the way a character looks at another character tells me a lot about their feelings
- the different characters/relationship dynamics
- realistically flawed characters
- NSFW was well done
- GL established pair (however they had very little screen time and it felt like token representation instead of fleshed out characters/interesting plot)
- sweet moments
- how the ending credits change
- a character has two moms
- bixsexual representation
- ep 9 Sand and Nick were adorable
- showing a character going to therapy
- Yo & Plug's relationship and talking about the importance of trust
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Chueam just saying it was no big deal when Atom could have ruined a person's life and put him in jail was terrible character/plot writing (and unrealistic, I think most people would be super pissed at their sibling for that), and then there was a weak apology in the final episode
- Atom lying about non con also fuels the idea of survivors lying when in reality lying about this is very rare
- the flawed characters didn't bother me, but there wasn't enough growth for them to be in relationships, they all need therapy and to be solo for awhile
- Top, his redemption arc was not good, he ignored Mew's boundaries, was pretty manipulative and selfish, and the non con touching was awful
- Mew, seeing an optimistic character become jaded is something I don't enjoy watching, and I don't enjoy people who play games
- Ray, the writers needed to have him have a bit more character growth sooner and also not just say the right things but do the right things, he'd take a step forward and then a step back again, it's realistic to have setbacks but trying to cram everything in at the very end wasn't good
- Boeing, his character was not needed (although he was super hot), they should have spent more time on the other characters learning/growing (or not and then realistically ruining their relationships)
- the endings were really predictable and wish GMMTV had been a bit more risky
- showed monogamy as good and polyamory as bad
- there were a few jumpy parts, for example characters were cuddling at night and the next scene was during the day in a bookstore
- not a fan of the outfit/styling choices for many characters
- sometimes music didn't fit the mood like a serious part would have this upbeat music

(info) in ep 1 I was a bit confused by the colored wristbands to denote relationship status, apparently this is a real thing (which I think is an awesome idea)

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Completed
OP_97
7 people found this review helpful
Oct 31, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

Something sweet... Something spicy

When I first started this series, I did not expect much. Granted that it had a lot of "spicy" scenes, but I had hoped to some degree that it will provide a semblance of depth among its character.

Which they did-- to a degree.

But, reading other reviews that had tackled on those topics, I will simply list Pros and Cons of this show. Warning on spoilers.
Pros:
-OST and the Intro video. It just matches well with the overall show aesthetic.
- First and Khaotungs characters Sand and Ray. These two could have a series all on their own and it wouldn't be much different, to be honest. A lot of the characters in this show are quite human -- meaning they are both good and terrible. Sand is not perfect but compared to Ray he is a saint. An absolute wonderful person that from start to finish I only wished he got the best ending. Ray's complexity is spot on, and for someone like me who had been in close contact with someone extremely alcoholic, their portrayal is eerily familiar. That and the chemistry of the two actors is just beautiful.
-Boston. Don't get me wrong, he is terrible. Like the walking red flag. His lack of remorse and his selfish nature is not an uncommon trait. It's seen in the real world, and I have to praise Neo's acting because people did dislike Boston a ton.
-Mew. I like Mew, and I like his transformation era but his character sometimes came off as trying too hard.
-Nick. I love Nick, despite him bugging the car and falling deeply in love with Boston, he still ended up with the best version of himself. And that's someone who will love themselves and choose themselves. It's always hard to waste away when in love, and it's beautiful that Nick recognized that and decided to step away.
-Nick and Sand. Friendship is top tier despite the hiccup here and there.
-The way they ended one friendship as well, which shows that sometimes we outgrow people and we can't expect that same level of closeness there when it had crumbled to dust.
-Therapy session as important to get over addiction is a plus.
-Recognizing that growth is not linear.
-Mond the actor.
-I know people say that this show is very queer-- which I agree, it is. But it feels more like the show showcases strongly just how much a person's sexuality can evolve and how much that can reflect in how they interact with people around them.
-Mixx~

Cons:
-Debating if this is a pro or a con, or it should be it's own genre but these people - Mew, Ray, Cheum and Boston had never felt like a friendship group to me. Even at the beginning. Which supposedly is the thing. There was lack of anything to prove they all had gone through things together, unless you can see them drinking and starting a hostel which really doesn't show much. Apart from Ray and Mew that had a scene that showed how or why they are close-- the other two seemed like props to me.
And don't get me started on Cheum, that character was a bad friend no matter what anyone says and quite oblivious to things that matte
-Mew and Top. I do not understand why they still ended up together. I felt Top is such a boring character. He is like Boston but not, and the whole fire trauma wasn't nicely done enough to make him more human. I get second chances and whatnot, that he was tricked or whatever-- but he sometimes just come off creepy and nosy and people like to say that's because of love. After people commenting that Mew is his type, how come Mew was the one that converted him to being monogamous? There' s just so many things about this couple that could have been executed better to have that satisfying end-- all I got out of them was they should not have been endgame.
-Top and Sand past resolution was a bit rushed and strange. Hating them, then exposing Top and then by the end they are both buddy buddy. Meh. Did not expect a fight but a better situation that would have connected them better despite the past, would have been better.
-Atom and in extension Cheum again, just you'll get it when you watch it. Before this, Cheum was a meh character to me, then that scene happened and she was just-- deplorable. Her only redeeming quality was her when she was with her girlfriend.
- Mond the character Boeing. I get that his past with Sand and Top can be a moving force in their respective relationships, but the execution only made it feel that his existence to the story was so unnecessary.


Other creative decision you can ignore or accept but those listed above is really what stuck with me. However, overall, I still did enjoy the show. It's quite a journey, especially when you had to wait for the next week. I slightly envy those who would be coming in now and can binge watch it until the end. And I praise the actors for giving life and personality to the characters they portrayed. A different kind of series from the usual GMMTV produced ones, that's for sure.

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Completed
Reiraaaaa
7 people found this review helpful
Apr 19, 2025
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 4.5
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

Fun if you want something messy and a complete no brainer

The drama in itself is pretty bad. The storyline is messy and the characters have 0 development over the entire run. If you want to watch something that will make you think and be emotionally connected this is not it. This drama is a complete shut off your brain kind. Its fun if you want something messy that makes 0 sense. Its fun when you are just there to laugh at the situations that take place and wonder how bad can it even get.

Basically not a good drama but a fun watch as a no brainer.
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Ongoing 10/12
yjoonl
30 people found this review helpful
Aug 19, 2023
10 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0

True queer representation

My brother in Christ if you have ever wondered what the true queer experience looks like then this is exactly what it is. It shows a good range of the culture and I like that it's not showing any as good or bad but just how it is in the real world. I don't know fully what it's like in Thailand but this is very similar to how a lot of it works in England. I'll probably but my rating to a 10 on a couple of episodes if they keep up this quality, I just don't like rating a 10 just one episode in. I have really high hopes.
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Ongoing 12/12
Alonso Torres Ojeda
7 people found this review helpful
Aug 29, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 7.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0

So far this is...ok!

Let's start by saying Top Mew is not a couple that I'm really into, they are both attractive of course, the actor that play Top gained some muscle since his last series and he looks great, but I wasn't into them in Enchante and I'm not into them in this one either.

I like the other couples tho. Sand, Ray, Boston, Nick, their acting is more appealing to me. Their eye game is strong and they say a lot without saying a word. That's awesome.

Plot wise I think is weak, but I would say it's a nice watch, like it's good to fill the in-between of better series that I'm watching, you know what I mean?

I would describe this series as flashing a light on situations that have happened in my gay life which is interesting and entertaining but is not a series I'm painstakingly waiting for every week.

Now, I do love something and that's the music. That song is really good!

Overall, it's a very sensual series which I love but I guess I'm not that engaged. I will give it a solid 7.5/10 for now.

✨ Cheers!

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Completed
nightnight
10 people found this review helpful
Oct 28, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

The best hot mess - worth a try!

Spoilers in the form of general mood and topic spoilers: I try keep them general and vague! Check the spoiler tags - they can help you see what might be triggering!

No matter what you think of Only Friends, it has no doubt cemented its place in history - chaotic adults who also happen to be gay in what's certainly one of the better and more polished GMM productions that I've seen! It's messy and a fun take on the university dramas I've seen all too often from Thailand: here, them being final year uni students feels almost secondary to the story minus the fact their final project is what this revolves around. What I'm trying to say is that their primary personalities aren't uni students - they're adults who get up to a lot of stuff outside uni. Also, THERE'S A SAPPHIC SIDE COUPLE (with little screentime since it's not GL, but they're still there!!!)

STORY:
This is what makes or breaks a series honestly - no matter how good the actors are or the cinematography is, the story has to be there. I think it was there, although it felt vaguely rushed at the end due to the introduction of conflict in the penultimate and final episodes. However, I feel like that's the charm of Only Friends - the chaotic nature. Indeed, coming to the comments, people wanted everyone to kiss, and A LOT of people kissed outside of the rigid couples I expected.
This is a very messy series and if you're here for established couples, understand that the story has angst and chaos and your favourite couples will kiss other characters. I love that the series explores addictions (implied to be genetic), suicide and promotes rehab. It shows the consequences of characters' actions, and even if most of the couples are endgame, I love that not all the couples get together.

ACTING/CAST:
A star-studded cast, with many faces I was familiar with:
Neo and Mark particularly shined here because I'd only seen them as the comic supporting characters - they did incredibly well here with more serious roles!
First and Khaotung put me through so many emotions that I understand why people love them - some of my favourite and most memorable emotional scenes were theirs.
Unfortunately, Force and Book didn't get me as invested as I should have in Top and Mew's story. I think it might be that the other actors were so surprisingly good that they didn't shine as much. I didn't feel much about or for them, except I thought I'd like Mew more early on, but loved his later self. I only cared about them when something was wrong or there was conflict, but I was invested in the others even when there was no conflict.
Lookjun and Nonnie were nice but had little screentime, so if you want to watch for the sapphic couple, I'd recommend you get used to them being very secondary to the plot, more Nonnie because she's not part of the main friendship group.
Jennie is iconic as usual, and Tee was impressive - their story had me irrationally invested for such minor roles.

MUSIC:
The music was amazing: they took a range of genres and used them as background music or as references in the series! I put the OST "Let's Try" sung by Khaotung (Ray's actor) on repeat before watching this every time, and I have it on loop now while writing this! Rock, hip hop and pop(?) all made appearances in the series too!

REWATCH:
I loved it, but I tend to rewatch things for comfort and only my favourites then. However, this might be one to rewatch if you like to rewatch chaotic and angsty things - if I'm ever in the mood to see everyone kiss everyone I'll watch this!

FINAL THOUGHTS:
It felt vaguely starved of CheumApril content plot wise but there's still a while to go before we have more sapphic side couples who are notable in the story. The fact that they're listed as support roles despite Lookjun being part of the main friendship group explains it though. I also couldn't be completely satisfied with the speedy redemptions for the sake of a happy ending for some couples. However, I understand that there are people who are all too willing to take back their partners who've done wrong, and I want to believe that the characters in question are truly improving since that's what I feel I saw. In that, this was realistic.

If you're on the fence about watching this - I was too for a bit, until I saw the chaos and angst promised. The OST is called "Let's Try" so why not take up Khao's invitation? I feel like this is worth a try!

(sincerest apologies for any mess or confusion - I tried to structure my first review as much as possible!)

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Completed
07222023
5 people found this review helpful
Aug 30, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Only Friends are not real friends

[Episodes 1-6]
Honestly, watching ForceBook in here is like watching an extended version of themselves from 'A Boss and a Babe'. I know the actors have been friends for years (both extremely talented actors) and I didn't want to compare but unlike in ABAAB, there's a strong sense of familiarity between Top and Mew when they're supposed to be strangers. It could be the director's choice/style but I don't like it. There's no spark between them like there was with Gun and Cher.

I'm a huge and I mean HUGE fan of the friendship genre so when all the friends in here are shit, it's a major turn-off. First off, everyone refused to take Ray home and allowed him to drive drunk. There was a plot hole here; Boston clearly said he couldn't take Ray home because he wasn't free and yet somehow Mew heard it as 'I can/will' because in the next scene, while on the phone with Ray, Mew asks 'where's Boston? He said he'd take care of you'. I'm sorry but weren't you there??? You even asked the question that was shot down??? Secondly, if Mew is a virgin, there has to be a reason for that but his friends don't respect that and Namchueam went as far as suggesting he loses his virginity to a random hot guy. Are we in high school? Thirdly, Boston's friendship with Mew and Ray is so messy it ain't even funny. Mew and Boston threw each other under the bus on multiple occasions. Mew basically said Boston was easy and Boston made Mew out to be a liar and manipulator. I don't care how much you want a guy, friends don't do that. At least not real friends. I don't understand why friends this toxic thought a hostel business for a group project is a smart idea. I mean, I get it. If someone else is pouring their hard-earned money into my business and there's no consequence if we fail then I would do it too but wth?

I liked the idea of them running a hostel together BUT NOT for a uni project. I thought going into the series, they would already be running one. For a group of third-years, I'm surprised they party and have sex more than study and/or work. At this point just drop the uni part and it'll become a 100x better series. Since episodes 2-3, I've been skipping Top and Mew parts (only when they're together alone).

Nick is great but that's kind of it... I love Sand, he's the most logical and consistent. And finally, a genuine reaction when you hear that someone's parent passed away. I'm so tired of zoned-out-robot-voice-'I'm so sorry to hear that'. And I am super curious about his relationship with Top too.

I know I'm ranting quite a bit but I'm definitely staying on top of this series until the end for FirstKhaotung. I was excited to see FirstKhaotung and ForceBook's interactions but meh, unless the characters for Top and Mew change, I guess the behinds would be more interesting.

So far this is a 6.5/10 but we'll see how the later episodes do and if it deserves a higher rating :) Cheers!

Edit: 8/10 for episode 6's performance! Khaotung, First, Neo, Mark, and Book killing it!


Edit & updated on 10/29/2023: 7.5/10 for the [Completed] series
Finally done! This update is going to be an unpopular opinion for sure. As I had high expectations from the talented cast alone the finale has left me more than disappointed. Despite my criticism above and below, I’m not blaming the actors but the material they were given to work with.

This series could have easily been a 9 if not 10 out of 10, had they obliterated the university, hostel concept, and characters TopMew and AprilNamchueam. I love ForceBook and Lookjun, don't get me wrong, but I could care less about their characters. I skipped all of TopMew’s parts from episodes 3-12. I did not care for their back-and-forths. The hostel concept unaided is interesting, but not when it’s a byproduct of a uni project. I stand by what I've said above. Also, the only one who seemed to care and was running the business was Namchueam. If Mew, Ray, or Boston had any involvement, it was mostly done off-screen. We also never got to see what came of it at uni or how it was doing business-wise.

I hated, and I mean hated, all of the friendships except Sand and Nick’s. Other than referring to each other as friends, the four friends’ relationships lacked substance and were equally disconnected and unhinged.

Mew and Boston never felt like close friends, only that they had a mutual friend; Namchueam. Mew and Boston, even before Boston screwed up, never supported or cared about each other and were complete opposites in all aspects. They also looked down on each other. Mew and Ray’s friendship suffered when it was tainted by Ray’s one-sided crush on Mew. Making it impossible for them to spend quality time together without Mew unintentionally leading Ray on. Mew and Namchueam have a sibling-like relationship but the turn-off is Namchueam constantly pushes Mew into Top’s arms. I did not like her for that. Firstly because Mew was someone who had been protecting his virginity and relationship status until his third year in uni. Secondly, Top was a stranger and a player at that. Even if Mew was my enemy, I wouldn’t want his first relationship to be with a player no matter how handsome or rich said player is. It was just asking for trouble.

Ray and Boston aren’t close either though we learn that Boston would occasionally drive and take care of Ray when he drank himself drunk. Ray and Namchueam have an unbalanced relationship that isn’t built on trust but on Namchueam fancying Ray’s wealth. Except for Mew, at one point, no one bothered to help or improve Ray’s drinking, depression, and drug usage. The only time Namchueam made any attempt was when Mew was dragged into it. In other words, their lives outside of uni and the hostel don’t blend, affect, and matter to one another; it’s like watching three series in one.

I feel Mew and Namchueam are THE friends while Ray and Boston merely tagged along because they’re too rich to work, go to school, and had nothing better to do that didn't involve clubbing and partying.

Every time First is on screen, he’s always got my full attention as Sand is frankly likable and relatable. His characters’ backstories, interests, and hobbies stayed constant and he’s one of the few characters whose actions spoke louder than words. I like that he never told Sun that he’s his son. Yes, it’s sad that they might have missed out on a beautiful father-son relationship, but that was the reason Sand and his mother are best friends. Also, Boeing being Sand’s ex blindsided me. I completely forgot he had an ex who dumped him for Top. :/ And not Boeing dropping in the last three episodes just to kiss Mew, and make out with First, Ray, and Neo. Only Friends world is TINY

When a series is character-driven but most of them are unlikable, it makes it hard to power through. And it’s not even because of their toxic traits. Rather than ForceBook’s acting abilities, I think it was ForceBook themselves I couldn’t buy as TopMew. I have no expectations of TopMew but Force’s voice is too soft and although Mew acted with his life, his cute/pretty face isn’t intimidating. It might just be a me problem. It wasn't that they didn’t work but their real personalities softened the supposedly serious and intense mood of the series.
And precious Neo was struggling with Boston’s hardcore character. Instead of getting the sense that Boston was starting to care, he simply became depressed and moped around. I don’t understand his sudden sadness for losing his friends when they were never close and he didn’t attempt to rebuild bridges either until Namchueam invited him to the New Year get-together.

Also, is it me or Neo wasn’t comfortable on rollerblades? His legs were shaky and he had to correct his balance a few times.

Luckily I watched episodes 1-9 as they were released each week before binging 10-12. Had I tried to binge the whole series I would have called it quits before I hit episode 6. And that would have been a bummer because Khaotung and Book’s performances in episode 6 were outstanding. Overall, this BL wasn’t for me, and personally, it’s a 5 out of 10 but I’m raising it to a 7.5 because although it's not my cup of tea, the majority enjoy it and I wouldn’t want to deter others from possibly checking and loving this series. Despite my take, it was still a well-done series.

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Completed
SunshineMar
5 people found this review helpful
Aug 28, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

GROWN, SEXY, AND MESSY!!!

From the moment that this show started, I was highly intrigued for what was to come!!!

You have Sand who is a musician and who takes a liking to the character Ray and they start to have a thing going on. Ray is what most would consider to be an alcoholic who is hung up on his feelings for Mew. Mew is a seemingly "good boy" and what you could classify as the smart type. He is dating Top. Top is a classic playboy who views Mew as a conquest but those feelings could turn into love and be a sort of redemption for his growth as a character (we will see). Top is friends with Boston but they have a history of messing around with one another. Boston is what you would call a huge red flag and his toxicity shows time and time again. He messes around regularly with Nick. Nick is a character that you would want to protect with all your heart from Boston's messy ways.

So,
Sand and Ray = bed friends
Mew and Top = boyfriends
Top and Boston = friends? with a little extra extra on the side
Boston and Nick = friends with benefits

See how all of their relationships are classified using the word "friends"

All of these characters intertwine with one another as the show progresses and the audience comes to know of a lot of shocking revelations. It's one of those shows where it's like peeling back an onion because it's so layered. Every episode you find out something new or you find out that a character actually knows this or that character or may not be as they seem and it changes the trajectory of the show immensely.

What I love the most about this show is that you can't classify any of the characters as being "good" per say. They all to me have something within them below the surface. You can kind of classify them as morally grey because they do discourage the audience from identifying them as purely evil or purely good. The characters in this show are multi-faceted and multi-layered. While they may seem inherently messy or inherently goodie two shoes, they all possess more than meets the eye and this show delves into those intricacies which is very entertaining to witness.

I'm very interested to see how the story and characters progress. I know it's going to be FILLED with drama and I am READY for it!!!

I am also highly excited to see if they will finish strong with this show that is taking the BL world by storm currently.

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Ongoing 10/12
manubl
17 people found this review helpful
Aug 12, 2023
10 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

WATCH IT IF YOU WANNA HAVE FUN ?

La historia empieza a desarrollarse muy bien para ser el primero capitulo, igualmente se puede ver hacía dónde se dirigirá y lo que se puede esperar.
Dentro de las actuaciones la de Neo y Mark es algo que definitivamente tenemos que destacar, es decir, se podía sentir la tensión sexual entre los personajes en sus escenas, me sentí comp si estuviera de mal tercio jajaja
En cuánto al soundtrack, la canción de Khao es increíblemente perfecta para la serie ! La necesito en Spotify YA!
No se cuántas veces voy a repetir el capítulo hasta que salga el siguiente, esta ganas de querer saber que va a pasar que te deja la serie es un buen indicio.

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Completed
Unpopularopinionbydemand
7 people found this review helpful
Nov 2, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Great Until it Wasn't

Only Friends has a great beginning, but I can't lie that the incline to it being great crashed somewhere and just started getting rather tedious to watch. And don't get me wrong -- the plot, the acting, the romances -- everything worked like it was supposed to, except, still something just didn't work towards the end of this for me.

Let's Dive In.

Jojo knew what he was doing with this series, specifically with these pairings too. Putting a bunch of hot people in one frame and having them get into some heated mess -- okay yes, of course, I'm seated. I absolutely adore the concept of this BL, which I don't even know if I would label it a BL. This felt more like a genuine queer messy-gay series with no specific yes on a pairing and everybody was just kissing and sucking and fucking one another. It was about friendship and love and betrayal and hatred and loss and it worked perfectly with these actors. They put on a brilliant performance, and I can't wait to see what's lined up for them in the future from here on out.

Now, onto specific characters/pairings: I'll be honest, I would've loved a RayMew endgame. Of course, Ray and Sand worked well together too, but I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and we can't pretend like the moments that we did get between them weren't so fucking cute. Anyways, passed my wrecked ship, I'll start with Top and Mew. I absolutely hate that they ended up together. I really wish that Mew would've moved on, which might be my own bias because I can't imagine staying with someone that cheated on me, and even worse, cheated on me with my best friend. Also, yes, Boston is like a terrible human being, but if Mew can't find it in himself to forgive his friend but forgive his partner when they were both in the wrong, then Mew is being a bit of a hypocrite -- is he not? But skipping past before Top cheated with Boston, I was all aboard the Top Mew train. But initially Top only got with Mew to fill Boston's bet that he couldn't be the person Mew loses his virginity to, so now that I'm remembering that, I actually still didn't really like this pairing much. And I get it, he realized he actually did have feelings for Mew, but the intentions were still there. In reality, I give their relationship 5 months until they end for good.

Onto Sand and Ray, the only couple that I'm okay with. I liked Ray's character development a lot, which is why I can actually see this relationship lasting. They had a lot of ups and downs and honestly, the only real one I can recall is Ray still having feelings for Mew. I think they also complement each other so well that it just works. The rich with the poor, the spontaneous with the calculated, the party animal with the quiet musician, the boy who yearns for someone to love them with the boy who yearns to be loved. It was all so good. Again, I think Ray and Mew would've worked better for me, but I can see why this pairing does too, so I'm not mad about it at all.

Moving onto Nick and Boston -- thank god they didn't end up together. I hated seeing Nick just up and give Boston chance after chance, especially after they actually get together and Boston screws up again. He's just an all-around terrible person, who needed no redemption arc but was still given one (slightly). But again, Neo is so charming, so handsome, so perfect, so I can see why Nick would *shrugs in understanding*. But Nick deciding to work on himself to find the key to loving himself was a perfect ending for his character. Poor dude passed up Gumpa, so he really must've been hurting.

Mond being in this was so random and yet everything I needed and more. Dude is so pretty, so perfect, so everything. I couldn't even be mad that he was put in to add conflict at the last minute, because gosh, I mean just look at him. And the glasses too?? I'm no better than any of these characters tbh.

So what I think went wrong with this series: For me, there were a few times in which this just dragged on. Seeing Mark be hurt over and over again, Ray and Sand going back and forth, Top and Mew playing a game of cat and mouse -- and then it goes on for episodes and episodes. By the end, I was watching this at 2 times the speed. This is me being completely nit-picky and everyone else can disagree with me and that's fine, but how come we never see Ray/Sand and Top/Mew NC scenes as intensely as we saw Boston/any-boy-within-a-two-feet-radius-and-Mark? Maybe because they wanted to put an emphasis on Boston being sex crazy, but it felt weird to incorporate something for one character but not the others.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Overall, it was good. Kind of repetitive and a little bit draggy, but it still worked well and was on theme throughout.

Acting: 9/10 - I got to see Mond and Force shirtless (which has nothing to do with their acting, but they sure did show me a good performance so..). Anyways though, and for real, everyone did a phenomenal job. Again, I'll have to give most of the kudos to Khaotung who just hits it out of the park each and every time. But Mark also stood out and so did Neo too.

Music: 8.5/10: Like usual, I didn't pay much attention, but I would like the sudden shock on my face when I heard an English song playing. I don't know, it just shocks me sometimes. Also, the theme song is so very good.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: Watch this because the actors are gorgeous and they are kissing at least 1/2 of each episode -- and the plot is wonderful. I give it a low score because I think this would've actually worked out better had I binge-watched it. I just saw all the hype and had to watch, but having seen what I've seen, I could've definitely waited to binge-watch it.

Also, Mix coming in at the end almost felt like they were building up to a potential 2nd season?? I mean, just imagine it. And you know if Mix is there I'm also there. We shall see once the final GMMTV 2024 line-up comes out!

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Completed
ando
5 people found this review helpful
Oct 28, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

ANYTHING BUT FRIENDS

Let's be honest, were they really JUST friends? Within the relationships and friendships, there was little trust. But did I enjoy this series? HELL YEAH! I had been waiting for this series FOREVER.

The love triangles are love triangling. At this point, it was more than a triangle.

Sand liked Ray, Ray liked Mew, Mew liked Top, Top liked Mew yet cheated with Boston? AND MUCH MORE CONFUSION WITH WHO LIKED WHO.

Although this series felt like a HOT MESS which believe me, it definitely was at point with there being conflict after conflict, it was still really enjoyable. From the chemistry, to the acting, there were so many things I LOVED!!!

Before anything, let's give a round of applause to the acting. (👏👏👏)

I've always admired all of the actors acting, especially in emotional scenes, but when it comes to Khaotung & First.. DAMN!! They get me in my feelings! GMMTV found such a jackpot when it comes to actors. Not only are they pretty criers, but they also get you emotional. (Me at least) The way Khaotung can express the emotions with his acting just amazes me. I truly do see SO MUCH more potential than what he already has. (Although he's already AMAZING)

Not only is the acting PHENOMENAL, so is the CHEMISTRY!!!! The expressions when looking into each others eyes.. OH EM GEE🥹🥹. You could have paired any of the mains in this series and I wouldn't be mad. Mew (Book) and Ray (Khaotung) with their moments gave me BUTTERFLIES!! Sometimes it felt like they were endgame with their chemistry.

We can't forget that OST either! It's on SO MANY of my favorite playlists and it will probably stay as one of my favorite OSTS from a series for a while.

This series SERVED!! Even with Monds annoying character, Boeing. (Love the actor, hate the character😂)

Now.. Let's talk about the ending.. (Ep 12, a bit of 11)

Mew and Top have now made up SURPRISINGLY after everything within their toxic relationship, Nick and Boston are happy (but will that last?), we found out Boeing is Sands ex (if you hadn't already knew). Boeing just knows how mess every relationship up.

With episode 12..The beginning scene had my jaw to the FLOOR. This whole episode had me like "Ahh!! They're so cute" or "AHH WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Sand and Ray apologized really quickly for what happened. I'm kind of glad that the whole friend group apologized (even though Boston isn't apart of it really anymore), and some of the couples got together. But am I a little disappointed? Just a tad. I was hoping Boston and Nick would be endgame, but I'm also happy that Nick will work on himself.

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON MIX'S SURPRISE CAMEO. I SCREAMED!! I WAS WATCHING IT ON MY BEDROOM TV AND SCREAMED INTO MY HANDS! MY CAT EVEN GOT SCARED AND RAN.


Overall, it was a fun watch. I would definitely recommend this to someone who needs a little spice in their life!

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Completed
QueerDudeGermany
4 people found this review helpful
Oct 23, 2023
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

they have created heaven and hell for themselves...

when the first trailer came out, the hype was already there.this series felt different, fresher and rougher than the standard high school BL. And thankfully it delivered!
What makes this series so special is not the NC scenes,which while very risqué by GMMTV standards, individually are no more so than what other studios have been doing for a long time, but its characters. In particular, Boston, Ray, Sand and Nick are characters that most of us have probably met before or perhaps find ourselves in them.
That and the unsparing and revealing look at their dysfunctional relationships is what makes the series unique. It's not all sunshine and roses and not black and white. People struggle, act toxic, can't always define their feelings, have their own baggage of traumas. and hurt other people.
And that shows Only Friends like rarely any other series before and also the courage it takes despite all this behavior to get involved with another person and trust the feeling we call love.

Acting-wise, this series is always at the highest level. First and Khao can unleash all their talent, with characters as complex as Sand and Ray. Sometimes it's just nuances, a little shadow in their eyes, but they make you feel all the emotions.
But also in the scenes where the big emotions are asked for, the two deliver like no other and probably create some of the most emotional scenes in a drama of this year and with sand and ray have already created two iconic overly complex characters who combine vulnerability, security, selfishness and devotion in themselves
And Neo-Oh my God, finally give this man a leading role, because he is pure gold! He didn't just play the f*ckboy Boston, he was it! If you look at his other roles, he's probably one of the most versatile scene players GMMTV has to offer.
But Mark doesn't have to hide either, even if his role as Nick was a bit simpler, he was always convincing.And his character shines and shines more and more, the longer the series goes on.

Staying with the characters, we also come to the biggest negatv point of the series, called Top and Mew. Their characters seem more like stereotypes, their relationship not so believable and their story arcs feel strangely flat, and even though their relationship becomes more intense, I just didn't warm up to the characters too much.

Apart from that, one parts were too rushed and other parts were obviously designed to make even more mess.
But even in these parts, Only Friends is more entertaining than the competition, making it, in its worst parts, an entertaining mess and, in its best parts, a beautiful, fragile, unpolished paean to love and thus an undeniable drama highlight of 2023.

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