Only Friends (2023)

Not an episode went by without me screaming in front of my screen

'Only friends' is a messy yet intriguing series and no the plot isn't the mess in fact the plot execution is really good, however the characters are absolutely messy and the whole plot revolves around these very messy characters. Red flags here, red flags there and I am honestly not a fan of red flags but this series had me ever since the trailer. One of the most striking elements of this series is the undeniable chemistry among the actors. The emotions, the tension they convey through the screen are palpable, tugging at my heartstrings and making the characters connections and conflicts feel all too real. I am so invested.

Not an episode went by without me screaming in front of my screen, be it in excitement or frustration. I had to pause from time to time to take deep breath and to calm down because honestly this riled me up, made me swear and scream and I was still enjoying it.

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!!

Starting with Sand because he is my favorite. He is sassy and has his own ways- both good and bad. He is confident, charming, mess with him and be ready for a payback. And he has my heart. I really can't see him getting hurt. He is so freaking precious and honestly I just want to throw some punches on Ray but then again I can't do that. One glimpse of Ray crying and my anger is all melted but then he does some shitty things again and my anger, my frustration is back. Ray, he is alcoholic, kind of lonely, one hell of a selfish prick, and I am so freaking mad at him or I am not. Honestly I don't know anymore. Also, he is such a tease. He says Sand isn't my type but then he is flirting with Sand every single second of every single minute Sand is around him. And yeah they were 'ONLY' friends even after all the smoke kiss and the nights and what nots and he liked Mew and he messed up a big time but call me color blind I still wanted to see Sand and Ray happily together. However, that doesn't change the fact that Sand deserves so much better.

Moving on to Nick, he is such a cute baby but a big no he ain't innocent. He is so certain about what and who he wants which is a good trait but he is suffering and I just wanna go and punch Boston but then again I can't do this either. I am a softie for them all. Sorry not sorry!! Honestly, Boston is a hot manipulative mess and a major major red flag. He's using Nick and I hate him when Nick is hurting, more so when he screws things up but guess what I still can't hate him completely. I don't even know if I hate him at all, he just gets me screaming in front my screen in frustration. Also, he and Nick were friends.. 'ONLY' friends after all the nights and sweet talks and what nots and Boston was playing around but call me crazy I seriously wanted them to be the endgame even after all of that. And trust me what Boston wants he gets it by hook or by crook.

Then we have Mew, the said nerd in the friend circle and the innocent yet not so innocent guy. He is into Top but he plays hard to get. Talking about Top, he radiates the vibe of a red flag but trust me he isn't the first one on the list. However, it's clear he does want Mew at the moment and I think he really does have feelings for Mew or am I just being clowned? I still don't know honestly. Okay so they had a thing going on and they too were 'ONLY' friends and then boyfriends for a tiny while and then they- aaaahahjahdahsjd- watch it yourself to know.

See, mess! mess! the head throbbing, heart wrenching mess they created!!

The most sorted relationship in the friends circle is of Namchueam and April and they don't really have enough screen time. It might look like I am complaining and yes I am because I was losing my mind and I was on the edge every single second while watching this. But damnnn the chemistry they have. I can't unsee it and I am so invested. Also, none of the characters are bland. There's Dan, who is hitting on Nick and his chemistry with Nick is no joke. Then we have Boeing, my god, this guy is the real deal. He made his entry like a tornado, shaking up the already messed up relationship equations and damn his charm is irresistible. Also, Yo and Plug they had minimum screen time but they ate up their scenes.

To add up the osts, the sound tracks, I love it mahn and even the lyrics of the osts. Honestly this series is a mess and it triggered my trust issues. I couldn't and I still can't trust anyone of them not even my favorites and still this is so worth it. Highly Highly recommended!!

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I didn't take this show that seriously - And you shouldn't either

I want to start this review by saying that this show doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you.
I started watching this show because I'm familiar with the actors, and I knew they would do a great job. I wasn't wrong; this show has some amazing acting that manages to convey all the right emotions.

But aside from that, the actors couldn't possibly save this show from the bad writing. The narrative lacks depth, and it keeps going in circles. I get that they had to maintain a certain level of drama, but why not thicken the existing plotlines instead of creating unnecessary ones? Instead of focusing on the main characters relationships, how they had to improve themselves, or maybe what goes outside the relationships (jobs, families, etc.), they created a bunch of side characters and useless drama that adds no substance to the story. They came and went, sometimes without a clear resolution.

Let's talk about the characters. I heard so many opinions about how every single one of them matured and improved themselves by the end of the series, but honestly, I don't see it. The only character that really changed throughout was Ray. He started as a very superficial, self-centered rich brat but managed to see how that hurt the people around him and decided, at his own volition, to change. Even though there is still room for improvement, we can assume he won't fall into the same traps again if Sand is by his side.

Can we say the same thing about Boston? No. Although he decided to apologize for all the trouble he caused and start a serious relationship with Nick, the last episode speaks for itself. He didn't change his habits, and he is not willing to. He only tried to do so to satisfy Nick's wishes. At the end, he still hurt his feelings by cheating on him at the bar and acting like it wasn't that important. It's clear he didn't learn from his mistakes. My only hope is that Nick manages to find someone better than Ton and love himself a bit more, even if right now it's clear he still has feelings for him.

As for Top, he's somewhat of a mysterious type. The story didn't dive as deep into his character as I wanted. From the very beginning, I had a strong belief that he had sincere feelings for Mew, despite falling victim to Ton's manipulation, which resulted in him cheating on Mew. And so, when he called Boeing, his ex, over, I was very surprised. It was unexpected because Top didn't seem like the kind of person who would risk Mew's trust after working so hard to regain it. I'm left wondering how Mew forgave him so easily for that. Did Top truly change, or are there more layers to his character that we didn't get to see?

Let's also touch on the fan service aspect of the show. Towards the end, it became noticeable that nearly every character kissed each other. It left me wondering if these scenes were primarily for viewer enjoyment rather than serving a deeper purpose in character development or plot progression.
The end of the series was also left open, leaving many plotholes behind and keeping the potential for a second season.

In conclusion, if you're up for a light and occasionally brilliant watch, this series has its moments. But if you're into something with a more serious and coherent storyline, you might want to look elsewhere.

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