Monster Next Door (2024)

Comfy beautiful little series

This series was such a comfortable watch as it didn't really prolong any conflicts and was full of genuine connections. With it's 12 episodes, I didn't feel like there was any time I thought that the things happening on screen are unnecessary, everything was paced very well. Let's dig in deeper:

The portrayal of an introverted character that doesn't have a lot of friends honestly hit close to home. I could relate to Diew's anxiety in front of other people. With that said I am glad that he had Game, his best friend, to spend time with in and after classes. For me, it seemed like perfectly okay and nice life. With that said, enter God!

I enjoyed every little interaction between Diew and God. God is very green flag character, which I really appreciate as a portrayal of healthy friendship and relationship is something very comfortable to watch for me. It was beautiful how God respected all Diew's wishes and how careful he was when interacting with him, so Diew didn't feel uncomfortable in any way (like checking if it's ok to touch his hand while teaching him basketball or being ready to instantly stop touching him when they suddenly got close on the sleepover).
It was sad that God's jealousy took over him so intensely regarding Dr. Pi. But nobody's perfect and until then we were able to see only God "the perfect boyfriend". I was glad that they gave each other time and then talked it out calmly.
It was also a joy to see them getting more and more comfortable with each other as time passed.

Second pair, Beer and Wan, was interesting to watch. I didn't really like the cliché of "what happens if we break up one day", but it was okay.

I liked the (subtle) relationship between Game and Win. And I appreciated moments when Game and Diew interacted and Win and God just looked at them lovingly (reminded me a lot of Love in the Air, haha).

I didn't really enjoy Jane playing a questionably bad character, because I don't enjoy shallow characters, her only motivation seemed to be famous. But I can still understand that maybe she didn't have any friends and thought that maybe being famous could help her. But like, no one sane would ask seemingly uncomfortable person three times to do modeling... BUT! I really like that she got her redemption arc lol, and was chill at the very end.

With Dr. Pi, I don't even know what to say :_D His group of friends from the past was so evil for no reason? Like, why would you say such a mean things about boyfriend of your friend? Well, didn't make sense to me... I was glad when he walked out and let Diew breathe. I don't really believe his apology, as just a few episodes before he was stirring things up with God. But I don't really care as long as he didn't make a reappearance.


The family stuff at near end was a very important part of the story and I loved it. I deeply adored how Diew stood up for himself by saying: "Can you stop pressuring me?" when his mother was trying to emotionally ambush him. On the other hand I really liked the self-reflection his mother went through after that and their clear conversation after that. Don't we all love healthy communication in all aspects of life.

The grandpa was the star all along. Such a nice guy! I liked how he managed to be there for both his grandson and his daughter in all difficult situations, very caring of him. My favourite line from him was: "Your love needs to have a space for him (Diew) to grow." as he said it to Diew's mom, that man is just spitting facts in the most caring way possible.

Acting: I didn't have any problems with none of the cast. I think all played their roles well.

Music: I am normally listening to other genres, but I appreciate that the lyrics matched the story very well.


This review was compiled from notes I made when watching the series, which I normally don't really do, but I did enjoy this series profoundly. I liked the vibes, I liked the all-embracing communication, I liked the affirmations, I liked the character growth and the whole message it sent: "...maybe extroversion and introversion aren't fixed things."

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Beautifully Executed Backstory

After watching this series I adore how the backstory was done. From my perspective I could understand every action that Diew took even when it caused misunderstandings. It is not easy to confide in your partner when in your previous relationship that person did even give you, showing your vulnerability to them the light of day. It’s like in one ear out the other. Also, at some points I identified with Diew. Especially the relationship with Diew and his mother. I can completely understand not being able to seek solace from your mother or really any other family member, no matter how much time we spend together or how much energy either party puts in to cultivate the relationship between each other. Both Diew and his Mom had their own struggles and they executed the reconnection very well. From the Mom and hurt daughter at the hospital, to the conversation between Diew’s grandfather and Diew’s Mother. The disconnect of Diew and his Mom that began from childhood was finally able to reunite and they could truly understand each other. I really will miss BigPark, hopefully they work together again.

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First impressions

So far although I find it a bit boring sometimes it's decent all around. It's the first time I have seen a drama based around MBTI and although I am a keen believer that your MBTI is influenced by your surroundings and situation, I am keen on how they plan on developing the story/angst.

The first issue I encountered was the presentation of Diew as an introvert. I don't know if the writer just picked out the stereotypical traits that introverts had, but I found myself just dissociating with it (as a fellow introvert and INTJ to be specific). I can understand that some introverts are more reserved than others. Still, I would have loved to see more depth to his character as all that is being portrayed is a silent kid who is somewhat afraid of strangers and panics easily when faced with social situations. Introverts are a lot more complex and not just cut and paste and I would love if they touch on the subject. If a drama is going to be based around personality types I would expect them to show the different ways introverts can communicate, feeling drained socially, the difficulties of navigating through social situations/daily life, and how you can change from being an anxious introvert to a social introvert or even breaking down myths. But perhaps I am thinking too deeply about this series.

Secondly, I am not a turtle expert but that cage that they are keeping the turtle seems way too small to simulate the turtle. The main reason why I am mentioning it is due to the representation of Diew as a turtle lover. I would assume that if one loves an animal a lot and that animal makes up a big part of their personality and life they should do their proper research and try to provide the absolute best for their pet. Although I don't doubt Diew's love for his turtle, I would have just loved to see a more knowledgeable pet owner.

I love how God is always respectful of Diew's boundaries and never crosses them by making sure he is comfortable in their relationship at all times. Although I find the 'talking without seeing each other's faces' ridiculous I love how God does his very best to respect Diew's wishes which includes making sure his friends don't make Diew uncomfortable.

The communication between God and Diew so far is amazing especially when it comes to expressing their thoughts and emotions clearly. I love their balcony talks as it's the only time where I feel that Diew's personality shines rather than the one-dimensional side that is portrayed in his everyday life. I am also eager to see how their communication evolves in their relationship.

The series is overall decent (the mixing for the OST is interesting, to say the least) but I hope they develop the storyline more going down.

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serie interessante, ma ritmo un po' troppo compassato

serie sicuramente interessante in quanto la tematica introverso-estroverso è portata alle estreme conseguenze, con spunti di riflessione per quanto riguarda le relazioni sociali, le relazioni sentimentali e i rapporti con i famigliari di persone introverse ed estroverse. La caratterizzazione di Diew, che come detto sembra piuttosto estrema, è anche conseguenza della sua relazione tossica con il suo ex, che gli ha lasciato profonde cicatrici, e che l'amore e la dedizione di God contribuiscono a curare. Nel corso della serie Diew e God hanno qualche malinteso, ma ne parlano sempre in maniera matura per giungere ad un chiarimento e ad un innalzamento di livello della loro relazione. Per quanto riguarda gli aspetti negativi, c'è da dire che non ho apprezzato molto l'interpretazione degli attori sia di Diew che di God, che spesso non riescono a trasmettere quelle emozioni che la scena richiederebbe. Anche la serie stessa in molte parti risulta un po' noiosa e con ritmo troppo compassato.

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Carino, ma...?

Ho iniziato questo lakorn senza troppe aspettative perché non ne avevo guardato neanche il trailer, ma non nego di aver guardato i primi 3-4 episodi tutti d'un fiato, incuriosita dai personaggi e dalle evoluzioni di trama e/o dei personaggi stessi. Putroppo, però, l'euforia è svanita presto.
Stavo apprezzando il fatto che avessero, per una volta, dato spazio ad un main role che fosse introverso senza descriverlo come il classico timidone goffo che non sa stare al mondo, però penso che in qualche modo siano riusciti ad esagerare lo stesso.
Gli sviluppi del personaggio di Diew non mi stanno facendo impazzire. Capisco che ci siano diverse tipologie di introversione, ma sono -ahimè- riusciti a cogliere tutti e soli i lati negativi e analoga impressione la sto avendo con lo sviluppo dell'estroversione di God.
Continuerò a guardarlo e spero di cambiare opinione, ma per ora sto preferendo gli sviluppi dei BeerWan.

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