Only Friends: Dream On

HELLOOOOO?!?!?!?!?

i NEED every episode right fcking now like HELLOOOO?! BOOM?! EARTH?! GEWIN?! HAAAAAA? NAHHHHH DROPPP THOSE EPISODES I KEED THEMMMMM, like the story is already amazing and its only the first episode i am so excited for that like i only see red flags but who cares lets just pretend that i am colorblind, i am sooooooooooo excited for the series

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Controcorrente

Sarò onesta, mi sento un po' controcorrente, ma a me è piaciuto molto di più della prima stagione, per un semplice motivo: non ha promesso cose che non ha dato. Non mi ha promesso il vero casino fra coppie, ha promesso qualcosa di moderato che devo dire, ha dato, invece di promettere un milkshake di cose che non sono successe. Poi io sono convinta che ai fan della GMMTV non vada mai bene niente, quindi litigavano perché le coppie venivano scoppiate in OF1 e ora si litiga perché non vegono scoppiate. Insomma, non va bene nulla. Sono contente perché non ho visto stravolgimenti all'ultima puntata (a parte il personaggio di Mix, però un pelo di senso lo vedo) come è successo in OF e overall, la ho sentita più coesa rispetto a alla prima che aveva poco senso dall'inizio e sarò sincera, mi sembrava di sentire dell'amicizia reale fra i personaggi e non whatever that was nella prima stagione. Ho amato i cameo, nel senso che ho amato alla follia la gloriosa e Bostoniana presenza di Neo, mi sono piaciuti il ritorno di TopMew (con ForceBook) e quello di SandRay (con FirstKhao)(anche se ho trovato poco sensato che Ray, un ex-alcolista, perché questo era in OF abbia aperto una ditta che fa birre NON analcoliche) e ho amato il lieto fine di Nick, con la presenza di MarkOhm. L'unica coppia di cui sono molto contenta che sia stata molto fugace è il cameo di YachtStamp, ma solo perché ormai sono in fissa con AunStamp (e sapendo che sono in altre due serie come coppie secondarie, sono contente del cameo, ma cerchiamo un altro partner a Yacht, va bene GMMTV?). Detto ciò con il cameo finale abbiamo introdotto Great e oggettivemente la prossima stagione, con spero GreatBright, AunStamp (che potrebbero avere il loro primo ruolo da protagonisti in ensemble) e o MondRyu (Mond, che ha già un ruolo pronto) o anche PoddPapang (che possono riprendere i loro ruoli e smettere di essere insegnati).

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This is as honest as possible

Honestly if I rewatch the previous episodes there are some parts I would have changed but I only can say good things about it let's start with the story: the story is definitely not for everybody there's a lot of drama between the couples but also a lot of tension. Especially when there is the more than two people Dynamics like if they are unsure about feelings and end up in situationships. There are also serious aspects talked about in this series and this might be not for everyone. There are also things that someone takes advantage of another person's feelings like especially Raffy and Tua. I think the story is really good but some things don't really fit into the style of the whole Concepts but most of the time it just makes me really happy to watch it.

Let's continue with the acting and cast: i need to say they are on the same level as the hearts killer when not even better you can clearly see how much the company put the effort in the series and also how well the actors present their role and also Express the emotions especially when dean cried after jack it was such a beautiful Moment. Also there is a lot of time where you just see the couples so you feel more connected with them or connected with their story and I think this is really helpful to feel into the story and know what you're thinking and there is a clearly difference between each couple with their problems so you really can't choose a favorite it depends a little on the episode.

Let's talk a little about the music in the series: maybe I'm a little biased but Gawin's intro is so good even if I can speak Thai i still sing with him and also the music video to it is so good. The music in the play itself are also mostly handmade by the actors or the staff so you really see how much that series means to them and mostly the music is perfectly placed and is making everything more emotional.

Overall I would say the rewatch value is really high but I have to feeling after a few times you can know what will happen so you would need to wait a few years to find the same Amusement on it again but it's really really great bL drama.

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Finally doing justice to the cast

Finally feels like *Only Friends dream on *is doing justice to its cast. Really nice to see Earth and Mix getting the recognition they deserve, and Aou boom, Gawin, and Joss also getting roles where their potential actually shows.

The direction this time feels much more focused and lets the actors shine naturally. It’s a big shift from Season 1, which, honestly, felt a bit too chaotic at times and was hard to stay with till the end (even though a few character dynamics carried it).

This season feels more balanced and easier to watch. It may not have the same “spicy” intensity, but the storytelling feels more grounded and enjoyable overall. Hoping it continues like this 🤍.

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AouBoom delivered. Everything else was a welcome bonus.

I'll be upfront: I watched this for AouBoom. That's it. After We Are I was already convinced they could deliver in whatever they were given, and Dream On proved that again. Aou as a sexy DJ, Boom as a sexy nepo baby, and a dynamic built on frustrated desire, bad timing, and the particular chaos of developing feelings for someone who's still mentally elsewhere — while accidentally hooking up with his crush's brother. I love everything about that setup. They could hand these two almost any script and they'd find something in it.
What I didn't fully expect was to find the other pairs engaging too. JossGawin's quieter friends-to-lovers arc was sweet and I appreciated the slower pace. EarthMix carried the most emotional weight, and the exhibition scene — a gallery built around breakups and the people left behind — was for me the most striking moment in the series. Someone please actually make that concept real.
The forest scene is where I'll admit I lost patience a little. Arnold and Dean don't actually do anything — they get emotionally close in a vulnerable moment, nearly cross a line, and stop. What follows is a compromising video, Tua interpreting it as betrayal by his best friend and his partner, Jack reading it as far worse than it was, and an enormous amount of conflict generated by something that technically didn't happen. I found both reactions disproportionate, and the drama that spun out of it felt like it was working harder than the actual situation warranted.
What I found genuinely interesting was Raffy's role in all of it. He witnesses the moment, takes the photo, and has every motivation to use it — he's been trying to sabotage the Jack-Dean dynamic from the start, and Rome even believes he did it when it comes out. That he decides against it is one of the quieter character moments in the series, and it landed for me more than the manufactured fallout around the scene itself.
Where I personally land differently from the narrative is the EarthMix ending. I think it would have been more honest if they'd gone their separate ways after the time jump — maybe staying friends, because the whole point of Mix's arc is realising he's been holding on to keep Jack in his life as a person, not necessarily as a partner. That realisation felt like it was building toward something cleaner than what we got. But apparently there's a third season coming, so perhaps the story isn't done making up its mind.

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Uma continuação mais comedida

Only Friends: Dream On superou minhas expectativas, pois o trailer inicial (com OhmLeng ainda) dava a ideia de algo super genérico, porém souberam desenvolver um enredo em cima da proposta. A química do ship EarthMix está incrível na série, nunca tinha visto eles tão conectados e em sincronia nessa série, embora ainda se repita o modus operandi do rabugento + atrevido. Embora tenha gostado muito de Dream On, pra mim, não supera a primeira temporada, que era muito mais caótica pelo misto de sentimentos dos personagens do Book, Khao e First... e ainda tinha o agravante da sociedade entre os amigos que estavam cruzando limites. Dream On já vem mais comedida, não há beijos entre atores não-ships (uma pena, faltou certo atrevimento), e Boston foi uma promessa que nos enganou, pois parecia que ia tocar o terror novamente, porém apareceu pouco e não fez nada. Pelo menos surpreendeu positivamente ao respeitar o personagem do Gawin em momento de crise... O que não me desceu foi o Raffy, que personagem SEM GRAÇA... o expressivo, errado e sem curva de evolução, passou toda a série na sombra do Dean e ficou nisso. A atuação do Boom é muito fraca, ele não tem muitas expressões e o personagem pareceu vazio... Os coadjuvantes também aparecem pouco e em quase nada agregam... Pete totalmente desnecessário e Gameplay aparece e some do nada... No geral, a série diverte, é interessante e vale a pena assistir, mesmo com alguns defeitinhos.

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That's just how relationship works in it's truest form

While comparison to the legendary season 1 is inevitable, this one on it's own left a good taste. A story about friendship, relationship and how real life is.

In my opinion Dream On is closer to real life scenarios, or of a more common reality than OF was. The storyline was messy but it was kept within the boundary. OF had some insane character who needed therapy. The Dream On characters acted way more normal. Their development arc was shown really well. It was subtle but was there. The coping mechanism of each character, the relationship dynamics etc. really sets this drama apart. The three couple showcased the three different romance trope, friends to lovers, ex to being back together and friends with benefits to more. But each of them felt a little one dimensional. I loved how every new wave of twists was interwind with the stage play. It was along there and the ending felt like it was resonating the plot of the play. I just wished the biggest twist had more to give to us than just a light touch and that was the only time I felt it lacked the pedestal of toxicity on which the Only Friends Universe stands. Also ROMERAFFY ugh! I didn't get enough of them. Their story was the most interesting for me. The only genuine complain I have is the lack of female characters. Give me the lesbian couple.

Coming to direction, cinematography and sound editing, Ninew's works are always my favorite. I think he is a very underrate director. He brings such exotic style to Thai dramas, if promoted well t would make to global audience. It's very appealing and fresh. This one also had a American retro style to it especially with ArnoldTua. I loved whatever they did with the editing during each scene cut. It brought such a new essence to the drama. Direction wise it never fell flat. Every scene was unskippable.

We had a solid cast on this. Every single one of them showed amazing acting. I specially want to mention AuoBoom and Mix. Mix did a great job with his micro expressions and dialogue deliveries. AuoBoom had one of the greatest chemistries of all time. I usually skip NC scenes but theirs I replayed.

It was definitely a good watch. It was less toxic and insane and more on the maturity and relationship side. If you like a lite version of Only Friends then this is the one.

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One word: RUSHED!!

This had the potential to be so much better than it was; especially with this casting!!! This felt rushed and all over the place. I am very disappointed in this series. I'm not really sure how to describe the way I feel about this series, but I'm going to try....

First off, the only thing I liked about this series is the casting. I think the casting was great, however the execution of this series; terrible and I blame the directors. When I watched the series I was expecting more drama, more spice, really more of a lot of things that this didn't deliver.

Second, this did Neo dirty! He played a bastard in Only Friends yet he was docile in this one. I mean, they really toned down his character and I was expecting his character to be more outspoken, more dramatic, more of a lot of things really. I expected his character to be similar to how he was in the first Only Friends, but no... his character was toned down way too much and he barely had any screen time. The fact that Boston wasn't Boston in this had me highly disappointed because I was expecting more drama the minute he appeared in this show.

It also felt very rushed like the director wanted to hurry up and get this series over with or something. And don't get me wrong, the casting was great but the acting on some of them were very subpar and all of them are pretty good actors, so imagine my disappointment when I was watching this subpar acting from them and again not their fault; it's the directing. And let me just add this; with that much eye candy in this series it should have been better then the first one.

The Earth/Mix pairing wasn't doing it for me. I usually like anything those two are paired in together but this, no. Joss/Gawin pairing we're pretty good, however, the pairing that made this show even the slightest bit likable for me to continue watching was Aou/Boom pairing. To me, they made this show possible. They brought the spice and they brought most of the drama that actually made sense.

Another thing that made this okay to watch were the cameos by Sand/Ray and then Nick showing up and Boston saw him while being Boston. This one just did not tickle my fancy but I did like seeing Great at the end, so does this mean we'll possibly get a third season of Only Friends and we'll follow his story? I mean, it can't be any worse than this one was. It was so disappointing and I wish I could get all the hours I wasted on this show back but I can't. And maybe somebody out there will like and appreciate the show, but I didn't and my rating stands.

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Great acting and chemistry saved a wasted plot.

The most important thing here is the acting. Specially Mix as Dean. I think is the most remarkable thing in all the series. Alongside Mix, I would like to mention Boom as Raffy and Earth as Jack. All the ast made a great job, but the most impressive for me and what got me hooked to this series was Dean-Jack and Dean-Raffy dynamics. The chemistry between EarthMix is tale as old as time, and Mix and Boom chemistry as two enemies divas was VERY good. I had to said tho, Mix carried the emotional and heavy drama scenes of this series. He's truly and amazing actor. The acting in general is what is more remarkable.

This series had a lot of potential, honestly, and the result is far from being 100% disappointing. I think it's important to understand that Dream On isn't a second season per se, Only Friends franchise would function as an anthology, and that's how I'm going to treat it for this review. First I want to talk about the characters, because they are the most important part. In OF, the Business Administration friend group were showed as toxic since the start but in OFDO the dynamics are different. The friend group here are Jack, Dean, Tua, and Timmy, and they are scripted to not to be a toxic group. What join all these people as a plot device is the stage play not the friendship, the plot works in a way that opens from the friend group adding the brother of one of them, the enemy of one of them and the crush of one of them to the mix through the play.

Remember that the premise of Only Friends is what its original title almost was: HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE. That's what connects the seasons of the anthology. And if they make a third, that's what will connect them. Hurt people hurting each other, intentionally or not. In that respect, Dream On DOES delivers. The characters have their flaws, some more pronounced than others. They aren't perfect, but the point isn't for them to be; it's to see what the script does with them.... And the thing is, script messed up some times with this. It's important to the main characters to work as characters aside from the couple plot, with other relationship more than the romantic/sexual ones. Jack, Dean, and Raffy are introduced as the 'bad behaviour guys,' while Rome, Arnold, and Tua are the 'good guys.' We know enough about Dean, Raffy, Jack and Tua's personal plots to follow up the reasons behind their actions but I think not about Rome and Arnold. That missing depth would be more appreciated. Jack and Rome stepbrother plot is wasted, and subsequently the interesting friendship/companionship between Dean and Rome who would give more weight to Rome's 'betrayal'. Also Arnold having confusing feelings for Dean isn't showed or even talked as a thing until very late. We never see Arnold having second thoughts about Dean for almost all the series and then suddenly he was confused? That's came from literally knowhere.

Theres also plots that lead to nothing. Jack alcoholism was a perfect chance to show the different ways a person can be dependent of substances and different kind of addiction recovery, relapsing, etc. Everything is underexplained. Yes, in some cases people who deal with alcoholism in the past can drink alcoholic normaly afte but since any of that is mentioned see Jack drinking after his time in rehab feels generally lacking. Dean being drugged without consent, something is never spoken after and just a justification so the audience don't pick a fight for the almost kiss (who didn't work and made it worse, actually). Rome working in parties were not so legal things happens is also a wasted chance. All the Dean being a host and the leaked video is underplayed. Dean apologies with Raffy but Raffy doesn't apology with Dean? Their tentative friendship is also wasted. And speaking of friendship Dean and Tua friendship needed a deep talk, I liked the scene in the roller coaster but I don't think it was enough.

And Pete's crimes? Did he give back the money? Nobody reported him? The series throw things in the plot but there's no committing to develop it further. Other thing that could be managed better was the time skip that doesn't feel right and every couple seems to be in a different moment of time. For example, for Jack and Dean one year is very little for what they show, their lives now, their careers and their maturity doesn't make sense in only a year. They relationship is still kind of toxic and codependent that I can take it, ok, but that time skip was a joke. Five years and I bought it, but only one year? Same with Rome and Raffy, for them it's looks like it passed like 3 years, not one. ArnoldTua feels like only one month passed. And Timmy? Someone wants to think about Timmy?

Now, Boston. They brought him back basically to give him and BostonNick arch closure. (And of course, because of the hype). That's fine. I liked to see Nick moving on and being happy, also not indulging Boston.

NOTE! Even though I point out what the series failed at, it doesn't mean I didn't like it. It has the heavy mess and emotional drama we were expecting, the characters are memorable and it works well in the same universe. "It's not chaotic enough, everyone's not kissing everyone." And that's partly true, and I understand that casual viewers might be surprised or that the title Only Friends fills everyone with expectations, but I was already prepared for this. In fact, many of us who have been closely following the Dream On process all this time, from filming to its current airing, aren't surprised by the lack of pairings because it was made clear that they would take into account the feedback (some people seems to forget all that) from Only Friends when developing the script for Dream On.

The director (P'Ninew) worked with what he was allowed, because not mixing the couples isn't a creative decision this time; it's an ADMINISTRATIVE and PR decision. And that's something that's been implied many times. I admit that I personally would have liked to see Boston and Tua kissing in the flashback, Rome and Pete kissing in the car, and Boston and Raffy kissing on the lips before being interrupted. But I knew I couldn't expect that, so it didn't take me by surprise; I had already mentally prepared myself not to be disappointed and well, the story worka without that. EXCEPT for one thing: Dean and Arnold not-kiss. I feel that if they had kissed in the woods, the plot would have worked just as well. It would have made the audience feel like all the character reactions had more sense. I mean Jack ask Mew advice like if Dean did was comparable to what Top did, and it wasn't. There's a lot of things that can felt unfair from diferent perspectives bcs of that.

But putting that aside, I enjoyed the series. I liked the friend group (JDTT) dynamics and also the couples dynamics ans stories as couples. Messy toxic exes going in circles, being toxic people. I liked that nor Jack or Dean are innocent victims of each other, it was an actually well written toxic dynamic in the emotional aspect. Jack has many flaws that Dean knows perfectly well and is able to manage, and at the same time, Dean can't stop idealizing Jack and his emotional dependence, which, due to his own flaws, explosive personality, and problems, manifests in negative actions, scheming, and, well, a psychological disaster. Jack and Dean needed to grow individually in order to be together, and the series did an excellent job of establishing why by showing exactly who they are and what they are capable of when they are not self-regulated. They're not good people, but they're really great characters.

Arnold and Tua were surprisingly happy for what you'd expect in a Only Friends context, but despite that, I quite liked their dynamic with Boston. The problem is that since we don't know much about Arnold, his internal monologues were completely wasted. The whole subplot about him questioning his feelings is superficial because they don't make his conflict clear. First, it's Arnold's sexuality, then ruining the friendship, then Boston, then Arnold's feelings for Dean (again, seemingly out of nowhere) and the not-kiss. I also like that Tua isn't that perfect not-break-plate guy, I would like that mean/hypocrital side of him to be more explored, bcs it was truly interesting. I also like that Rome give himself his own value although his feelings for Raffy, It is interesting to see the plot of a self-aware crumbler who, in a way, puts logic before emotions without necessarily feeling less or being less hurt. The only thing I didn't understand was why Rome falls in love with Raffy. Raffy, whose friendship with Pete wasn't developed enough for their separation to be painful, was nonetheless a troubled character. Raffy didn't love acting, and while he wasn't bad, he wasn't the best either. His personal growth in realizing what he didn't want was very enjoyable to watch. There's nothing wrong with accepting that a character makes mistakes, by the way. Characters are not innocent babies, they had faults.

Again, the cast is amazing, the acting can save the weak parts of the script. I think they should be more brave with certain plot devices but since I also understand why they didn't do it, and the limitations, if this is what the series can offer, I take it. While it doesn't have a ton of kissing, the sex and kissing scenes are good, on-brand with what Only Friends is all about and also had an intention. For me is important that NC scenes had a why, not just being here for the sake of being here. The directing and acting are also good because P'Ninew is a good director and acting coach who did the best he could with the limitations he was given. The plot is chaotic and messy, in a different way, but it is. I truly believe it had rewatch potential.

Mi final score is 7/10.

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And the Oscar goes to....

Many say Season 2 is better than Season 1... But I disagree. It was different, less toxic but more bitchy.

We have a couple Jack & Dean which overshadowed anyone and we have one actor who did overshadow all of others: Mix. This was a role written for him and it pays off. He is the overwhelming star of this show and everyone else looks pale compared to him. We have Rome & Raffy and they are decent but nothing which made me gasp. And finally we have a couple with Arnold and Tua and they are misplaced. The do not fit in this series, they look out of place and I could not give a rat's ass about them.

Then we got Boston back for about three episodes, herding a couple together which is so against his nature when you have seen Season 1. We also got Nick aka Mark back to reconcile with Boston, so there are no bad feelings anymore. Mark did that beautifully, as expected. Of course TopMew are back for a bit and SandRay to give fans a sense of continuity. Nothing this series really needed but I consider it a fanservice.

Of course we have two "villains", first Raffy chasing Jack and not be very successful with it and Pete who wants to get Rome but Rome has already decided that Raffy is the man for him. Pete gets even worse when he took money from the theater production and caused harm to JackDean & ArnoldTua by releasing a bit of a video which gives viewers a wrong impression. While Raffy confronts Pete in the episode before the final, as in usual GMMTV tradition we don't know what happened to him and this scene was also not emotional enough. I would have thought he would be gone after he took the money, but no all the others are too forgiving and kept him in the theater production.

Also in typical GMMTV tradition everything must be a happy end. Jack & Dean seperating would have been the perfect ending for this season. They could have done a special to get them together again, but no, it had to be done in the final epsiode. As usual the script is lacking and the direction is "wobbly".

Regardless this series was for the most parts entertaining, but my quite high rating is only because of Mix. This is quite the same as with the first season where Mark left a lasting impression. Those two can act in a big variety and there are only a few other actors who can reach them. So for a GMMTV production this was good. For a thai BLs it was better than most. But the script quality was all over the place ranging from stupid to very good in the whole series.

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