Loyal Pin: The Groundbreaking GL That Put Thai Culture on the Global Stage
Loyal Pin is hands down Freen & Becky's best drama yet! Their acting has grown so much since GAP—more natural, emotional, and nuanced. The chemistry? Off the charts. Their intimate scenes feel real, not forced, which makes their love story so believable.The cinematography is stunning, and the fact that it’s the first GL to partner with the Thai government to promote culture globally is huge. The formal Thai language made it challenging, but they nailed it. The plot was engaging, the production quality top-notch, and it set a new standard for GLs.
A historic, beautifully crafted series that proves Freen & Becky are a powerhouse duo.
I’m looking forward to their next series 4 Elements - The Air and Cranium coming soon.
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A cultural masterpiece and cinematography but failed in entertainment value
Let’s start by congratulating Idol Factory Production on the huge improvement in this series. It’s clear they now have the budget to bring in a strong production crew, with cinematography at its finest.From a viewer’s perspective—and not being a Thai native, since the series highlights Thai cultural heritage—I found it lacking in entertainment value. Across its 16 episodes, it failed to capture the thrill, fun, and romance one might expect. To me, it felt more like the love story of two noble women who began as friends and ended with a fairy-tale happily ever after. There wasn’t much to look forward to in each episode beyond the dialogue and food, and if it weren’t for Loknam’s character, I wouldn’t have even found a reason to smile while watching this lengthy series. I also felt it was too much to have two other noble women in love with Becky’s character. It didn’t feel realistic, as there were already too many men and women drawn to her, making the character seem overrated. And then there’s Freen’s character, which felt like a huge shift for viewers who previously saw her as the dominant lead in Gap the Series. This time, the portrayal came across as cringy, since her character was made overly ignorant, and from start to finish, there wasn’t much to her role beyond being naive. They could have shown her character evolve as she grew up, which would have added more depth. As far as the actors are concerned, Freen and Becky delivered as expected. These two women have such natural chemistry that their performances felt genuinely believable. Even when the storyline or character development fell short, their acting managed to hold the viewer’s attention and make the emotions on screen feel real. I also want to commend Loknam for being an excellent supporting role. She consistently brings comedic fun to every character she plays under Idol Factory, adding much-needed lightness and charm to the series.
Overall, the series isn’t a bad watch—I managed to get through it even after it had already ended several months ago. However, once I finished it, I found it memorable but not something I’d rewatch the way I did with Gap and other GL series.
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Well Done
⚠️ GL Grading DisclaimerBefore we dive in, a quick note on how I grade GL series: My primary focus is on the love story, chemistry, and plot. I grade on a curve, meaning my ratings are “for a GL,” recognizing the specific landscape and production context of girls’ love media.
If I ever rate something a 10, it’s because it absolutely delivers in one (or more) of these areas: undeniable chemistry between leads, high enjoyability, or a unique and/or excellently executed storyline that stands out in the genre.
Review:
The Loyal Pin is the kind of GL series that lingers with you—not because it reinvents the wheel, but because it commits to what it is and does it exceptionally well.
The pacing and character arcs are tight and believable. Princess Anin’s tenacity in pursuing Lady Pin is a major highlight. From her teenage years through adulthood, she never wavers. Yes, some of that drive comes from her status as a princess used to getting what she wants, but that only adds to her complexity. In contrast, Lady Pin’s struggle is quieter but no less meaningful. Her choices come from duty and fear, and while she frustrated me at times, her arc made sense for who she is.
The romantic tension had me on edge more than once—I kept bracing for someone to walk in on a kiss. That tension was balanced by some surprisingly strong comedic beats. I laughed out loud more than I expected from a period drama. Prik (Lady Pin’s maid) was a standout, and Prince Anan added a grounded charm to the mix. The side characters genuinely helped flesh out the emotional world of the series.
When it comes to chemistry, Freen and Becky never miss. They manage to be both adorably bubbly and quietly sexy—sometimes in the same scene. Their connection feels organic, with a mix of sweetness and intensity that few GL pairings achieve.
Chemistry rating: Hot AF
(Scale: Hot AF, Steamy, Warm and Cute)
The production quality also deserves praise. From lighting and cinematography to costuming and set design, everything feels purposeful and polished. I especially appreciated how Thai culture was woven into the story—whether through food, rituals, or visual detail—without ever becoming heavy-handed.
My only minor critique is the aunts’ sudden change of heart—it was a little too quick to feel natural. Still, it’s a small flaw in an otherwise rich and satisfying story.
Final Verdict:
The Loyal Pin is a rare period GL that delivers on every level—story, romance, cultural texture, and emotional payoff. Whether you're new to Thai GLs or already deep in the fandom, this one is absolutely worth your time.
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A drag
Started out great. The cinematography is beautiful! So are the actors and actresses. Story-wise it became boring pretty quickly. It would've done better with less episodes and more drama I think. Dropped because it was boring.Ps. It sounds like the kissing sounds were editted in? A shame...
I am disappointed!!! I love Freen and Becky and they're usually quite good! But it just felt lacking and dragging on and on and oooonnnnn
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Masterpiece!!!
The show was well written well acted the visuals were spotting. I can’t say enough about this show. It is a must watch GL series, and be prepared to set the bar high after watching. let’s start out with Freen and Becky The chemistry with these two is off the chain Not only do these Ladies have chemistry on the Set you can obviously tell off screen that they care for each other. I know I’m not talking about them being a couple. I’m talking about them as friends. I have no clue if they are a couple in real life, but I’m so happy that they can bring me Such a masterpiece of love and affection on Screen. I just want to say thank you to these two wonderful ladies that can act Sing endings. I also have to say that there are some funny moments in the show. Thanks too Nam Who plays PRIK Nam is hilarious.Was this review helpful to you?
Best GL Series
The Cinematography, Acting, Music, Character Development, Production, Dialogue and Artistic Style is Top-Notch. To be honest i'm not a fan of period drams but this caught me by surprise. It's Funny, Sad, Makes me Angry... it's making me feel a lot of emotion. I love that we had the chance to witness Anin and Pin as kids, teenagers and grown-ups. It's like we also grow up with them. I also love the hesitation of Pin and the time it took for her to take time and realize how she feel for Anin, because some shows feel rushed. I also love that the characters are not one dimensional, like they have good parts and bad. Because some shows always have a character that is always nice like that person has no dept or personality. Anyway this show is amazing!!Was this review helpful to you?
Review for The Loyal Pin ?✨
Dear ReaderI found The Loyal Pin absolutely heartwarming and beautifully acted — it truly touched my heart in a way very few series ever do. From the very first episode, I was completely drawn in by the sincerity and emotion that flowed through every scene.
Princess Anin’s character was portrayed with such grace, depth, and purity. She radiates a magical soul — something rare in this day and age. Watching her journey unfold was like being wrapped in a warm, emotional embrace. The era it was set in added such a beautiful, timeless atmosphere, and the thoughtful script, stunning cinematography, and delicate pacing all made it feel so genuine.
I didn’t find the story slow at all — in fact, there were so many moments that made my heart ache in the best way, because the emotions rang so true and close to home. This series captured love in its rawest, most selfless form. The romance between the leads was portrayed with such tenderness, respect, and unwavering support — it’s everything I love seeing in a GL series.
The supporting cast deserves a huge mention too. Every character felt meaningful, each adding emotional weight and richness to the story. The friendships, family bonds, and quiet moments between characters were just as powerful as the big romantic scenes.
The pain they were willing to endure for one another was heartbreakingly beautiful. Their love wasn’t just sweet — it was strong, resilient, and real. I could watch this over and over again and never get tired of it.
I absolutely adored this series and everyone involved in bringing it to life. And above all, a special shoutout to Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, who played Princess Anin so brilliantly. She brought this character to life with such authenticity and emotional power — I was completely captivated.
The Loyal Pin is, without a doubt, my favourite GL series to date. ❤️🌿
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IDK what the story was even about, really...
So... this show was very bland... which is why I gave it a neutral 5 stars.Let's start with the good things: the acting was great, the set designs and camera works and colors and wardrobe were also very good. But that's basically all that I liked about the series.
Now the bad things: my main gripe with the series is how slow and empty it felt. It took about 11 episodes for anything to happen in the plot, and even after that, when some conflicts started happening, the story still moved in slow motion, and every scene felt incredibly dragged out, at some point I even started watching in 2x speed. I was determined to finish the series because I had seen some good reviews about it and I was waiting for Something™ to happen, but I was sadly disappointed.
The next thing I want to talk about, which relates to the previous point, is how so many storylines and characters were so poorly explored. Princess Patt's backstory was shown once and then forgotten, Pin's parents and their deaths only exited for convenience (to explain why Pin lived at the palace, and to give Anin an opportunity to comfort her when she got scared), Keua's everything, Prince Anan's actual lover, the girl that sexually assaulted Anin, and probably some more. No plotline was truly explored to its full potential, and all the characters felt like empty shells, even Anin and Pin.
Lastly, I also felt that the historical context of the show wasn't well incorporated into the story, it felt more like a costume that the series wore, and the historical and political aspects could have been shown and explained a lot better. The series did make me curious enough, though, to do some light research about LGBTQ history in the UK and in Thailand, and in that time period the UK was only just starting to legalize homosexuality, while Thailand's homophobia mainly came from trying to copy Victorian Europe into becoming more "civilized", ironically. So, while true that Anin and Pin's relationship historically wouldn't have been accepted in Thailand, it made no sense for the UK to be painted in such a positive light when it came to queer relationships, and if there's anything I hate in any type of media, it's glazing of the west.
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This show is one of a kind.
The story is not the best but how it has been told and it's phasing for me is great. Everyone's acting to the leads to the extra has been on point. The music is beautiful and fit it's theme.To be honest when i first started this series i thought it's going to be boring but i end up loving it and loving each characters.
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One of the best GL series to date
The Loyal Pin is one of the most visually striking and well written of the GL dramas.Acting was topnotch and they didn't hold back on ANY of the scenes. You really believe they are lovers with that level of chemistry.
Cinematography was beautiful and rich with Thai culture, and I was hooked despite it not being my type of story. TLP is very fluffy with minimal angst until nearing the end where it truly unfolds. I generally like plots where the angst makes the fluff fluffier, but here it's the fluff that makes the angst angstier.
The character development is well done. Anin is a strong-willed princess. She grew up in a place of privilege and taught to reach for the stars. She'll fight for what she wants no matter the consequence. Pin is a softhearted commoner. She grew up in a less privileged position and taught to be grateful and subservient, to always know her place. She's compassionate, understanding, and will dutifully do what she thinks is best for everyone even at the cost of her own happiness. Anin's strong will and Pin's softheartedness is the quality they love in each other but it's that quality that ultimately leads to disagreement. Their upbringing shaped them and their relationship helped them grow past that.
The story is well-written but suffers from a pacing issue and the overuse of jealousy. The overabundance of fluff is what makes the pacing off and the amount of times both leads got jealous of who the other is spending time with and needing reassurance over it is immense. A few scenes about their jealousy in a world where their relationship is taboo adds to the angst, but the sheer amount shown is unnecessary to the overall plot.
There are many side characters and the spotlight was always on Anin and Pin with each other. The ratio of Anin and Pin scenes to scenes between them and the cast is unbalanced and makes their world feel less connected. I found it jarring, but it also makes sense in the context of Pin's situation. On the scenes where there is interaction with the other cast, it's Anin who interacts with them while Pin never interacts with anyone outside of a few characters and if she does happen to interact with any of the other cast it's through Anin. Reflecting back on it now, it highlights Pin's lack of a support system and low rank. Anin's family, who Pin has known most of her life, treat Pin like a beloved, distant family member they don't know personally. The interactions are always initiated by them with a polite greeting or offhanded comment within a group settings. They never interact one on one. Despite being their niece, Pin doesn't dare get close to them and they have no reason to get close to her either. While Pin is the adopted daughter of an adopted princess, she is actually the social rank of a commoner. I hadn't registered the divide between social status, so I used to think their relationship was incongruous.
The last few episodes were my absolute favorite because the whole fluffiness of the series was building up to the angstier parts which made it all the more impactful. We really see the struggles noble women go through in that period. The Loyal Pin is definitely a top tier drama within the GL community.
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" A Heartfelt Tribute to Thai GL Series and Their Bold Celebration of Love and Culture"
First of all, I want to thank Thailand for producing GL (Girls’ Love) series while other narrow-minded countries remain immersed in promoting homophobia through media content. I am genuinely grateful to this country because I would not have been able to find happiness and joy during my darkest times if it weren’t for Thai GL series. Thank you so much.As for this series, it created an unforgettable space in my once-shrouded heart. To be honest, I found some episodes to be dull, as it felt like they repeatedly featured similar scenes. However, despite this flaw, the show deserves to be praised and applauded for its unique qualities.
The series beautifully captures the little details in the environment, making every scene vivid and immersive. It showcases traditional Thai food so exquisitely that I felt like I was watching an aesthetic food blog—something rare in television. Moreover, it highlights Thai royal traditions, cultural events, and functions, offering viewers a glimpse into the royal attitudes and behavior of Thailand.
Above all, the show masterfully portrays the calm, sweet, lovely, restless, emotional, romantic, intense, overwhelming, and even dangerous love between two Thai royal women—Princess Anil and Lady Pin—who belong to a conservative society.
One of my favorite moments was the scene where Anil bravely declared her love in front of her mother, brother, and Lady Pin's aunt, Pattamika. Her courage to confess her secret love for someone of the same gender in front of her family filled me with pride and left my heart boiling with emotion. I admired her guts to stand up for her love against societal rules and restrictions.
This show is not only a beautiful love story but also a bold statement about love, culture, and courage. I truly loved it.
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