My Stand-In (2024)

had me until episode 4

(potential trigger warnings in my review, talking about abuse and intimate partner violence)

Overall: with a few tweaks this could have been a 9.5 series but I actively did not want the main leads together especially when 3 years later one of them was still a narcissist. It's sad but not surprising that people were victim blaming and calling Joe stupid. He wasn't stupid, he was an abuse victim (more below). Very similar aesthetics to KinnPorsche which made sense because it shared a director and screenwriter. It was adapted from the novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng which I didn't read and I based the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about an hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI. First episode link: https://www.iq.com/play/my-stand-in-uncut-episode-1-1iwuiu9rlww?lang=en_us The production company also produced I Feel You Linger In The Air. This review is of the uncut which was the first version on MDL and I'm not sure if there even is a cut version currently.

Content Warnings: death, grief, non con kissing, punch/violence, intimate partner abuse, held against will, gaslighting, manipulation, coercion, past suicide?, manhandling, vomiting, parental abuse, kidnapped, homophobia

What I Liked
- the premise
- showed a condom and discussed sexual position preferences
- had a good conversation at the beginning of episode 2
- wanting/ongoing physical affection in the beginning episodes
- sweet moments in the beginning episodes
- supportive sister
- production value (some really nice camera shots, use of mirrors, switching focus on foreground to background etc.)

Room For Improvement
- I can't root for their relationship as explained below
- Ming was stupid, he could have easily shown his dad evidence first before telling him the other part, he could have shored up his financial situation first as well
- Joe's lack of agency, he had a bunch of awful things and felt cornered into doing things instead of it being his choice
- multiple failed redemption arcs
- trash characters have no consequences, just instant forgiveness for terrible things they did
- multiple romances introduced in the last 30 minutes of the last episode
- voice overs with exposition dumps
- some of the music didn't fit the tone (that fight in episode 4 was made comical instead of dramatic)
- wish a character hadn't been shown as extremely drunk at the end of episode 1
- love triangle, Sol overstepped and took away agency from Joe especially in episode 9
- nonsense stuff i.e. Ming just happened to have something at his house in episode 4??? Joe didn't have any bruises/blood on his face/head in episode 4, Joe happened to overhear key conversations, 1 person being extremely drunk and a stunt person not being able to get away

Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I think about:
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (sort of, but not to the level that Ming was at)
2. how bad was/is the treatment (extremely abusive and violent, Ming could have accidentally killed Joe in episode 4, 3 years later and Ming stays a narcissist he says "I always get what I want" and he actively ignores what would make Joe happy)
3. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (Joe was mostly squeaky clean but unbelievably dense in not believing that Ming wanted him and Ming was abusive and a narcissist and stayed a narcissist/manipulative and also stupid to not know why Joe didn't tell him something)
4. was there some kind of apology/amend making (verbal apologies, promised to treat him better/give him job opportunities, was sweet with him but to me it was just the make up phase of an abuse cycle)
5. was there character growth (no, 3 years later and Ming was still a narcissist which was reinforced in episode 9, he made decisions involving Joe without asking what Joe wanted because Ming did whatever Ming wanted)
6. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (no, because for Ming it was about power/control and not love)
final verdict: I didn't want them in a romantic relationship together

Joe wasn't stupid, he was the victim of intimate partner violence
- Joe was the victim of physical, financial, emotional/mental and sexual abuse
- Ming didn't love Joe, he wanted to control him to get what he wanted
- abuse survivors can have a very difficult time escaping the abuse because abusers can be extremely excellent manipulators "if you hadn't done abc then I wouldn't have had to say/do xyz", also there are periods of nice times that trick the survivor into thinking the abuser does love them (the make up phase in the cycle of abuse), in the real world intimate partner violence is deadly and widespread, it is estimated that 10-40% of law enforcement officers are abusers and they are frequently the first people to respond, it's all very terrible and not at all romantic

If you or someone you love needs help, here is a resource in the U.S. https://www.rainn.org/

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Green light show absolutely swimming in red flags!

I cannot say how much I hated to love this show! So many of the episodes were just scary messy. And I was hooked.

This is the first time I have ever watched a series start to finish on day of airing. I would find myself checking my Friday schedule to make sure I had that hour set aside somewhere.

I have always liked Up, I used to watch his YouTube channel a lot. But this is my first Poom series. (I try to forget the one episode of Bake Me Please, that I managed to watch.)

I really think the casting was inspired. They have an amazing love/hate chemistry. Both characters were portrayed so well.

I hated Ming, so so so so very much until, suddenly, I didn't. And at times I wanted to reach into the screen and slap some sense into Joe.

When I'm so engaged in a series that I, quite literally, yell at the TV when characters are being ridiculous that is some amazing acting and direction.

Overall the series is so worth the watch!

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Pleasantly surprised

I wasn't too sure what to expect with this show - iQiyi originals can sometimes be a bit questionable and these were two actors I hadn't seen before. Their chemistry is so good, you can tell the actors are close friends in real life. The NC scenes were very well shot and there was no awkwardness whatsoever, UpPoom really set the bar high for more iQiyi originals!
Honestly, the plot was very far fetched and rather confusing but that might just be me forgetting what happened episode to episode as I watched it as it was released weekly. I got used to all the flashbacks and things after a while - I've seen other shows before where there was body/soul swapping and reincarnation so it wasn't too bad but this is probably a bit too out there if this is the first show you are watching with this type of plot.
Some of the storyline was a bit concerning (the kidnapping, Joe 2.0 getting hired by Ming, etc) but I like shows that aren't all sunshine and rainbows. I actually like that Joe forgave Ming, they did truly love each other and despite Ming's actions, his remorse was very evident. Many relationships in real life can be rebuilt from bad things and this show is an example of that. Instead of showing Ming as a villain forever, he had true personal growth that he even chose the man he loved over his father's money.
I did initially find it hard to accept that Joe never returns to his old body, but that's another beautiful thing that he rebuilds his life, doing everything for the woman who isn't even his real mother and she has no idea. It really shows you can find your own family and he adapted to his new situations as best as he could.
Basically, this show kept me on the edge of my seat and the acting was incredible - Up's portrayal of grief was brilliant and Mek was great at making Tong a hateable character that had you questioning whether to pity and forgive him in the last few episodes. Others may have concerns over aspects of the storyline (eg. glamourising blackmail etc) but life isn't perfect and all shows need aspects of morally grey areas, it's more realistic. Might need to give this a rewatch - also I need a little spin off of Secretary Jim and Mike RN!

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Complex and Interesting Characters to Watch

First of I want to say that the complexity in the characters of this series is what captivated me the most. The psychology behind understanding the characters, their motives and character development was top-tier. This combined with an amazing delivery by the main cast sold it for me. The casting was great, especially Poom. His ability to act emotions and deliver them through his eyes is everything. He definitively gained a fan in me.

Ultimately it is a story of many grey characters, there are no villains as so many viewers like to define the characters by. They all suffer from faults, because they are human. There are no red flags or green flags, there are just human beings in this series, and we get to follow their travel through the series and how their connections and relationships develop. I think I liked and disliked all the characters at some points in the show. This is a complex adult series, not a comfort watch.

Secondly, were there some things that irked me and could have been a tiny bit better written out? Yes, but in no way did it take away my enjoyment of the show. That is personal preference and artistic choices made by the production crew. Having read the novel after, I think they did amazing in turning this into a TV series. The magic part of the show was very nicely integrated and I especially loved how they kept Poom to play Joe throughout even after the body swapping. I'm usually not one for this trope, but in this series I didn't mind it because it was not focused on to be the main part of the story although it was a big part of the plot.

I do think the series fell victim to the need to wrap everything up in a nice bow by the end, and made it less believable to me, but overall I choose to ignore the fact and focus on all the excellent things the series delivered. I have already re-watched it, and I will 100% re-watch it again very soon. Highly recommended.

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The cast sell this too well

this is by far one of the most toxic stories as of recent but all of the cast kept me watching. poom has been a quiet favorite of mine, but I can see him gaining so much more success after this series. his ability to act toe-to-toe with up, who I consider one of the best in the industry, really left me so impressed with his growth. mek was such a great part of this as well, I was so happy to see him in a series this good, he really irritated me enough to forget who he was lol

the story itself was very uncomfortable to watch, and I don’t think there was much of a point to keeping Joe in model-Joe’s body. it just seemed like a last ditch effort to keep him with Ming.

overall, the acting saved this. if it weren’t so well casted, I would not have finished this series.

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Decent storyline with good acting

Honestly, BLs have been such a mess right now. They are mostly dragging with similar storylines and repetitive characters. I can list better BLs of 2024 on one hand. Thankfully this is one of them. In terms of storyline, I was hooked from get go and it had a decent plot all over. I didn't get bored and I was intrigued how it will all end unlike so many other BLs I recently dropped.
Yes, the characters are confused and toxic, it is such a mess but you are engaged anyway. The flaw of this drama was characters I wouldn't adore for long but strength was it was entertaining.
Joe is such a frustrating character for his life choices but Poom is a great, great actor!! And that is fun to watch. Ming is a GIANT red flag but Up again is perfect with his acting as red flag ML. We are on edge with him on getting a redemption but we eventually want those two to end up together because we cant see Joe in pain anymore.
What I disliked was how Tong was not punished, if he was I would have rated a tiny bit higher. He deserved some kind of karma, it makes me ANGRY!!
I would say definitely give this a go! Such a fresh storyline in similar lot of BLs. Also actors did a splendid job!

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Poom has such beautiful eyes

Personal Thoughts:
After the second episode I became quite curious to see how such an obvious emotionally charged series would come out. I'd started watching it because I'm a big fan of Up, I didn't watch the trailer or any promotional material at the time. So after reading the comments moaning about the original plot in the book, I decided to read it.

It's one of the best pieces of Chinese literature I've read. I cried so much and all I wanted was a happy ending to a character whom fate had entangled btwn two very bad people. I say bad because nothing can really explain the rudimentary selfishness and wickedness that is Ming (thai version) and Tong (thai version). My heart would constrict reading how Joe (Thai version) had been deceived, humiliated, betrayed, then brought back to life to serve the very people that destroyed his previous life. The book was so intense that immediately I was done. I regretted reading it, while the series hadn't even set up a solid foundation yet, wondering if it would color my perception of the series which was taken from a very rich source material.

Story
I think the thai version is such a really good adaptation that as it didn't follow the book too closely and was able to successfully stand well on its own.
I enjoyed the pacing of the series, as the storyline flowed nicely and it was easy to forget that I already knew the plot from the book. Of course it had its flaws with a slow start, as it still looked like the main leads were still awkwardly trying to adjust to their characters and each other.

Acting/Cast
I didn't know Poom/ Joe before. Now I wish I did. He has such beautiful expressive eyes and those THIGHS when he squats in shorts??! My Goodness. LAWD. He is blessed with such good looks and from what I've seen on his socials. He's really charming and goofy. Beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile. I hope he becomes very successful.

Up/Ming definitely surprised me. I didn't expect him to quite sell this mentally unhinged character that had a back fetish with such a careless flare for not caring about anything that wasn't his needs. He looks were on par, literally took my breath away. His scenes of being possessive and quite antagonistic towards Sol were comedy gold especially that fight in the hallway, as well as watching him want to devour Joe's back like it was his last meal on earth.
He was just funny

Sol/Porsche
He's really pretty, the red hair fits him but I really wished he'd have gotten more scenes to sell the tension btwn all three. I also couldn't remember why he also wanted Joe for Joe and not bcuz he hates Ming.

Joe's mom
I really liked her. She's so calming and I actually felt that this is why Joe came back. To feel the warmth and love of a parent that supported you no matter what

Tong.
I definitely despised him. But I was lowkey looking forward to how he constantly dodged trouble and bullets. That man is devious and I was impressed. S/o to the actor

Ming's Brother Mike/Intouch
Still grumpy I see since Mek left you and ran back to Taiwan. (My engineer reference)

Rewatch Value
I'll definitely recommend. It had a slow start but a strong finish. Gorgeous cast, great video quality. The warm tones of the camera filter. Beautiful locations and good chemistry

Final thoughts
Growing up is definitely understanding that life is in shades of gray. Relationships especially dealing with loves and intimacy are subjects that have long been discussed, theorised and hypothesized, if that's a real word?
History, Legends, myths, literature and pop culture have shown us various tragic love stories that have transcended since the dawn of humanity. It just too convolutional to begin to explain. Can anyone really try?

Joe loves Ming. Joe had been abused by Ming, and hated him as is his right. But He also missed him and kept going back to him because he still loved him, in spite of numerous warnings for his own good. Its not for us to judge or be outraged but to accept that Joe is the one in charge of his destiny now. He has chosen to take control of his life and he chose Ming. Kalas

So in summary, the heart wants what it wants.

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A Machete Served on a Plate— An Absolute Treat to Start the 2nd Half of 2024!

Here’s the thing: When the world of wife-chasing, dogblooded crematorium novels meets the Thai BL industry, something absolutely magical happens— and My Stand In is exactly that!

Originally based on a novel called "Professional Substitute" (職業替身) written by Shui Qian Cheng (水千丞), My Stand In definitely takes the crown as one of the most well-made adaptations we’ve seen in a while and is undoubtedly one of THE BEST we’ve seen this year.

Surprisingly, it managed to stay true to its source material for the most part. As for the rest, our director decided to sprinkle in some of their own creative "flair" to the script by tailoring the storyline so that it promotes Thai culture to the greater audience.

My Stand In is definitely a hot take among the lineup of Thai BL released this year. Right off the bat, this drama will not be everyone’s cup of tea— why?
Well, the questionable morals and actions from the characters throughout the series may be the biggest deterrent. One of our characters, Ming, has a doctorate from red-flag academy (graduated from the same class as Vegas from KinnPorsche). As someone who’s seen characters far worse than Ming, my level of tolerance is much higher than the average person— that is, someone who has their morals in the right places in both real life AND fiction. Ultimately, it’s up to how much you can handle. If you’re of the majority described above, stay far away from this series. It’s dog-blooded (a Chinese term referring to a plot that is cliche, drama, contains soap opera-ish elements, gritty, angsty), a dark romance, toys with your moral compass, and relentlessly stomps on your heart left and right.

Adding on to Ming’s characterization: He is, undoubtedly, a rarity in the Thai BL industry as to how much of a red flag he is. It’s not often that we see a character so deep and convincingly in the red. It’s a real treat that’s FUN IN FICTION, of course. Having read the novel (which I heavily encourage you all to do!), I’m already quite familiar as to how exactly Ming develops throughout the story. However, others, especially those who have not read the original work, find it difficult to redeem a character like him, which is rational enough— I mean, if I were Joe, I would’ve already had a restraining order against him and sued him of 10 criminal charges.

Despite its flaws, My Stand In is also one of the more compelling, intricate dramas I found myself enjoying far more than the usual university rom-com ones. The series contains layered characters, keeps you on the edge of your seat with its no-dull moments, and is a real breath of fresh air among all the fluffy shows we’ve seen so far. Objectively speaking, the drama’s strongest points lie in the casting, soundtrack (for the most part), and storyline.

Starting on the meat of the review. Based on the synopsis alone, you can already tell that this drama has something to offer other than your usual romance. For those who are unfamiliar, Shui Qian Cheng, the original author, is quite redound for her '188 series' that share a common theme of angst, morally-ambiguous characters, and falls under the category of wife-chasing crematorium (a genre I advise you looking into for context!). And let me tell you.. wife chasing crematorium novels are NOT for the faint of heart. For me, I’m a sucker for angsty plots and redemption arcs, so crematorium novels are right down my alley. Given that MSI is based on such a novel, expect it to be messy, dramatic, and one that may recycle some of your standard cliches. In the Chinese BL novel community, these terms all fall under the "dogblood" category. Also known as gou xie (狗血), this term describes a novel that contains a lot of soap-opera elements. MSI is 90% pain and 10% fluff. It is a melodrama, deals with sensitive topics like death, non-con, dub-con, kidnapping, alcoholism, and implied suicidal thoughts— just to name a few. Sounds crazy, right?— that’s WCC for you! All these elements, when put into the right hands, weave a compelling tale that manages to keeps your eyes peeled throughout, each episode leaving a cliffhanger that’ll cause your blood pressure to rise. You will feel a lot of emotions as you go through the series. At one moment, you will be like "damn, this is too sweet!" then have your heart, soul, mind, and conscious incinerated. That being said, mind the tags (mentioned above) before you decide to give it a go! Otherwise, it will completely ruin the experience of watching MSI for you if you’re not already aware of it’s contents.

While the premise is in a league of its own, it’s execution fell short. The storyline is divided into arcs, but I can’t brush off the feeling that it’s choppy— think of writing an essay but using no transition sentences. Consequently, flow and pacing were a bit on and off. While the timeline of events is coherent, the transition between them feels like I’m watching a stop motion film. Overall, it definitely could’ve been better.

Character-wise, it differs a lot from the novel. Here, the screenwriters has a knack for making every single character morally grey. While this is good, you also need to have a good balance. In the drama, some characters just can’t be redeemed, and just when you’re content with the fact that the villain is going to stay a villain (rightfully so), the screenwriters suddenly throw in an amateur "redemption arc" to try and justify them. When it comes to redemption arcs, some characters just can’t be saved— and that’s completely fine! If you’re gonna give a seemingly irredeemable character redemption, you'd have to justify it by showing how much they repented and suffered. Just expect to get your moral compass toyed with for a bit throughout the drama. Some characters got their HE, but was it really deserved?

The ending did feel a bit rushed and some things that were added were too dramatic for my liking, even though I assume that the intent was to make it "thought provoking" and symbolic, representing Joe’s feelings and all. However, we’ve seen enough of that. I wish that they could’ve used that opportunity to display more of Ming’s guilt and how exactly he suffered after Joes death (essentially putting all those words into actual perspective, make it more impactful). If those extra elements were added, I believe that that the ending could’ve been more satisfying and "closed," where the bad guys got their punishments and the good guys lived on happily. That would be my interpretation of an impactful ending.

Cinematography was good and expected from a drama of this budget. Soundtrack had a lot to offer but some songs were very overused / misplaced at times (ruined it for me, but each individual song was great). Most importantly, the acting and chemistry were OFF THE ROOFS. As expected from same two people who won the best couple award, UpPoom was an unexpected duo that managed to completely sweep me off my feet and stands as one of the best on-screen chemistry I’ve seen in a BL work!

Also, the experience of watching this as it aired would remain one of the most memorable! For those who are new here or held watching the show until it completely aired, I both commend your patience and are seething in envy. I remember the journey from episode 1-12, one episode a week, after all those cliffhangers— it was rough, but very fun! No dull cliffhangers here!

Acting wise, Poom Phuripan is definitely one of the most beloved, talented new faces of the year. His performance throughout this series is more than enough to showcase what the man can do. If there is one thing I’m certain about, it is that he will have a bright future ahead of him in the acting industry. Up, on the other hand, gave me another impression. This may be quite an unpopular opinion, but I found his acting to be a bit rocky, or maybe it was the characterization that I felt was off. Sometimes, it felt like he lacked that 5% to make Mings character come true. Sure, he most certainly fits the bill for how Ming should look like, but the acting wasn’t too convincing at times. I rationalize with myself that it may be due to the fact that I’m too used to Ming’s egocentric, utterly vile personality in the novel, which was toned down in the adaptation. As such, I will rewatch the series with a fresh mindset and separate Ming from Yan Mingxiu, which I encourage for all you novel readers to do as well! As for the other characters, Wut and Tong’s acting were rather underwhelming. Wut looked like he wanted to laugh even in serious situations and it seemed like Tong didn’t know what emotion to portray.

Since I’m writing this review right after watching the last episode, a part of me feels empty bidding farewell to MSI. Despite its flaws, it really had a chokehold on me for the past few months. Minding the tags, why not give this series a chance? Once you pass the "trauma" aisle of the market, you can’t go back to all that fluff!

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