This review may contain spoilers
How to destroy a fan favourite IP in 10 episodes or less.
I've given this enough time to marinate. Here's my review, and I'll try to be succinct. This was a mess of a show from the get-go, in the worst way possible. Notice how I use the word "mess", it is intentional: when the public thinks of the Only Friends IP, we immediately associate it with intersecting storylines about romance, betrayal, misunderstanding, broken trust, and difficult relationships involving morally colorful characters that are so raw and humanly imperfect, one can't help but adore them.This show had none of that; in fact, this show made the effort to destroy all the interesting parts of the characters from this season and the previous one. Case in point: TopMew. Two very headstrong characters, now turned influencers, that are lovey-dovey sweet as candy off-camera. No banter, which not only ForceBook are great at but was also an identifying trait of their characters' relationship, and their ambitions completely tossed aside to become a narrative tool for Dean and Jack. Speaking of narrative tools: SandRay. Oh, dear SandRay what have they done to you? After struggling with addiction to the point where rehabilitation was FORCED onto Ray and Sand feeling the guilt of being part of the problem with his illicit alcohol business, you are telling me the couple are now fully committed to selling alcohol? Thank God they seem to forget all about it in the last episode, where we see SandRay doing what they actually wanted to do at the end of S1: dedicate themselves to music.
Enough reminiscing, let's talk about this season, and let's start with the best couple: RomeRaffy. I am not putting this up for debate; AouBoom did a phenomenal job, even though they were the result of the recast (which we all loved) way later and their characters barely had 20 minutes of screen time (I'm being hyperbolic). This storyline worked because it followed the SandRay formula: a lovesick boy, who is also proud and stubborn, falls for an emotionally unavailable boy, who hides his insecurities under a stone-cold facade. I loved Raffy. Defying expectations set by his mother, only to end up exploiting what he hated most about her: the managing. I thought it was paradoxical but also a way of breaking the cycle, as he is now a manager as well, but he knows what a GOOD manager has to do and be. Especially while managing someone he loves. Also, how does he step into the pampering role of the relationship after Rome's ultimatum, turning Rome into a Tan variant? Their relationship was what Only Friends is about, if only we weren't missing a key part. A key part that was missing from this show entirely.
Why weren't they kissing eachother?
I don't care about the "but the fans want the fixed couples" or "the fans are going to go CRAZY (/neg) if you don't give them the cps" excuses, because they are not true: if there is anything GMMTV is good at, it is giving us happy endings by all means necessary. Your cp will be fine by the end, I promise. We know this. Give us Dean and Raffy getting it on nasty style.There was no excuse to not do so; their reconciliation would have been more cathartic if they had just fucked their rivalry away: putting themselves in a battle for power, only to realize how the moment is truly vulnerable and intimate, and then laying their heart out for each other. They wouldn't fall in love, but it would have been, again, cathartic.
Sorry, I had better points to make, but let me just scream to the void: HOW ARE YOU CASTING DEAN AND ARNOLD AS MAIN LEADS TO A ROMANTIC PLAY, AND WE DON'T EVEN SEE THEM KISS??? That took me fully out of it. Joss and Mix are actors who are playing actors. Kissing your co-worker IS PART OF THE JOB; their whole arc is about this!! Completely unacceptable and disappointing. Think about it: Tua sees Dean kissing Arnold and goes ballistic, finds Jack in the crowd, and shoves his tongue down his throat. Chaos ensues. AND THIS IS WHAT ONLY FRIENDS IS ABOUT, GODDAMN IT.
I won't even go into Arnold and Tua's storyline because the lazy writing did these two talented boys no justice. Their slow burn was wasted; they should have been the friends-with-benefits couple of the season, and if I'm honest, I wanted Tua to be A FULL BITCH. I wanted him to be sarcastic and snappy, Boston-style one-liners and comebacks. Not his ex. Which. Again, fucking wasted. These writers hate Boston with PASSION. What do you mean, "I don't do hookups anymore"? What do you mean, "I want to commit"? WHAT DO YOU MEAN "I DON'T FUCK DRUNK PEOPLE"? Where is my Boston, and what have you done to him? A narrative point for ArnoldTua but with no clear objective, as he was a passive bystander, not even playing Cupid properly.
Speaking of happy endings, I was so happy when I thought Dean and Jack weren't going to end up together. The ending was rushed and badly written (which could be applied to a lot of arcs of this show, but this is getting too long), Jack's character's redemption was appallingly done, and his character lacked the depth they wanted so desperately to give him. Why, in the first season, do we make Ray's rehab moment the most poignant point of his character arc, but for Jack it is a passing comment that barely has any effect on his relationship with Dean? Sure, it is mentioned; sure, it gives Dean pause, but there's no follow-up. The most interesting part of Jack's character, and we aren't given any more explanation than a few lines and the understanding that he can drink safely now. Just such bad writing. We deserved better; they deserved better.
I'll stop here for now; this was so not worth the hype.
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A Lukewarm Echo of a Groundbreaking Original
The original "Only Friends" was a massive step forward for the BL genre, delivering a rich, complicated, interwoven story about unique, flawed characters in conflict. In contrast, "Dream On" simply exploits that brand value while delivering a thin story with low-energy couples you mostly don’t care about.Where the original offered three masterfully interlocking stories, "Dream On’s" three narratives barely relate to each other, creating a frustrating lack of cohesion. I primarily tuned in to see if JossGawin could replicate the magnetic sexual energy they displayed in "My Golden Blood." They didn’t—but frankly, their weak story arc didn’t give them the narrative room to show what they could do. The same was true for EarthMix’s storyline; though underserved by the script, Mix’s outstanding, nuanced acting at least provided the show with some badly needed heart.
Ultimately, only AouBoom brought genuine energy, charm, and sexiness to the screen. Repeatedly cast as second bananas, they have become absolute experts at making the most out of smaller parts, and they easily carry the show here.
Overall, "Dream On" replaces the grit and complexity of the original with weak characters and a shallow plot. A major disappointment.
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Boring
This drama is a pretty typical BL series, and honestly, I found it quite boring. One of the biggest problems for me was that it kept repeating the same things again and again. The same situations, emotions, and conflicts seemed to come back repeatedly, which made the story feel dragged out and less engaging.That said, all three couples have good chemistry, which is probably one of the drama's strongest points. The acting is decent overall, and the chemistry between the actors helps keep the drama watchable even when the story becomes repetitive.
Arnold was definitely my favorite character. I really liked his personality. I also like Tua, but after watching several of his works, I don't feel that his acting has improved much. Still, because Arnold and Tua have good chemistry together, it wasn't a big issue for me, and I enjoyed their scenes.
As for Dean and Jack, I don't dislike them as a couple, but I can't say I'm a fan either. My main issue is that these two actors seem to play very similar characters in every drama they're in. Their dramas often have the same kind of storyline, and their acting styles feel very similar each time, which makes their pairing less interesting for me.
As for Jeff and Raffy, I think they're a bit different. Individually, neither actor stands out that much to me when acting alone, but when they're together, they have incredible chemistry. Their scenes feel natural and enjoyable, and they really bring out the best in each other. They ended up being one of the highlights of the drama for me.
Overall, this drama is watchable if you're looking for a light BL with good chemistry between the couples. However, the repetitive storytelling and slow pacing made it difficult for me to stay interested. I ended up skipping quite a few scenes because the story felt unnecessarily stretched out. It's not a bad drama, but it wasn't particularly memorable for me.
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ROME RAFFY RULED THIS SEASON
After OF S1 I really didn't wanna watch this cz of how messy the season 1 was but i gotta give credits to the comment section with all the characters interacting that made me give this one a go. Anyone who is wondering if you should watch this one? YES you should. It's not as messy as season 1 and is more digestible more like a watered down season 1. We get 1 cross couple kiss which is from an angle so uk the actors didn't kiss🤣. The plot is pretty close to season 1.RomeRaffy being SandRay from season 1 where Raffy has a huge crush on Jack while Rome just unconditionally likes Raffy like Sand liked Ray. Their story is probably the best one among the 3 with proper build and character development. When i started the drama i absolutely HATED RAFFY but now that the drama ended i absolutely LOVE HIM🤭 his character just grew soo well throughout the story.
ArnoldTua were practically TopMew of this season wity Tua being the virgin who ends up falling Arnold who is "not loyal" to him. Their plot was pretty simple so i was enjoying it until mid season i.e. the climax🙄 i was expecting things to actually happen like how Top actually slept with Boston but then nah it was a small misunderstanding (a really stupid one) which blew up to the point that i was like "bro it's not a big deal". So they went from being my favorite couple to an ok kinda couple. The climax is the reason i rated this drama a 9 cz i felt they needed something solid cz that was just stupid. They probably did it cz they wanted to play safe after the backlash the season 1 received.
Coming to JackDean🙄🙄 the BostonNick of this season. Dean was kinda Boston but more pitiful n sad kinda. Jack was a Jackass. For the 1st time in my history of being a BL fan have i ever truely wished for a couple to get a bloody sad ending and break up was in their case. I've even rooted for black flags but jack is just a BIG NO. Jack doesn't have much presence in the 1st half he's kinda a washed out character compared to others who had strong presence in the series but if u pay attention u can notice how he was never a supportive bf and just wanted a toy, someone who'd listen to him, praise him and worship him which is what dean is🙄. I absolutely HATE that they got a happy ending n ik that man hasn't changed a bit even after all this he's only back cz he couldn't find someone like Dean😑 they're definitely gonna keep breaking up in the future.
Coming to Boston. All that hype about him bringing chaos 🙄🙄 nah nothing as such happened🤣🤣🤣. The entire series i was like now he's gonna cause problem but then bro became a green flag and left🤣🤣🤣
Anyways although i do appreciate season 1 for it's risk and amazing writing this was more digestible although i felt it needed a bit more now that we hv watched season 1 and are kinda ready to tolerate cross couple interactions. I've rated this higher than season 1. Watch it guys it's good
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Only Friends Season 2 Is Hotter, Wilder, and Completely Addictive
After 2.5 years of waiting, Only Friends Season 2 kicks off with a bang. The first few episodes are electric, easily a 9 out of 10. Seeing so many talented GMMTV actors in one series still feels unreal.Season 2 is sexier, bolder, and messier than ever. The chemistry is stronger, the emotional chaos hits harder, and the storytelling feels confident and exciting. I love seeing actors break away from their previous roles. Earth and Mix, known from A Tale of Thousand Stars, step into completely different characters, and it’s a joy to watch. Joss and Gawin also shine, proving their versatility in this lively university setting.
The standout couple has to be Boom and Aou. Their bathroom one-night stand was steamy, bold, and utterly believable. The tension is off the charts, and I’m hooked on watching their dynamic unfold. Plus, I cannot wait for Neo to appear because he is bound to stir up even more chaos.
However, the series hits a slump in the second half. The story becomes repetitive and drags across 12 weeks. I still enjoyed parts of it, but the excitement faded, dropping my final score to an 8.
Overall, Only Friends Season 2 starts strong, sizzles with bold chemistry, but loses momentum toward the end. It is still worth watching, just brace yourself for the slower stretch.
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It has… ups and downs i‘d say
Normally i hate drama, but this drama was really watchable i‘d say.Atleast from EarthMix and AouBoom, don‘t get me wrong, i don‘t have anything against JossGawin! Its just their story got from obe second of the other boring as hell that i had to skip through their parts.
Not only was theirs getting boring, but in the middle of the Series, i couldn‘t bring myself to watch EarthMix or JackDean too. Smth was just too boring for me, idk what it was because i normally loved them in e. g. A Tale Of A Thousand Stars! And i also loved their acting in OFDO really much, their story was just… overplayed?
It was very different with AouBoom or RomeRaffy for me, i really love to see them act in that bickering and teasing manner, even though they almost argued all the time, also i felt really bad for Rome, and Raffy too. They bith played misunderstood and used characters, which was sad to watch but i was so happy that they found together as they are fr the right match!
Overall i‘d rewatch it, but mostly for Rome and Raffy…
Oh and about the storyline, the ending of Jack and Dean felt too realistic as Earth and Mix also like „left“ and just what Jack was saying had me wondering if it was maybe their real story or from a friend or so
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It had it's moments
DisclaimerWhat I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this series. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a higher or lower score and why it is better/worse than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.
I felt like if I was waiting forever for this series from when it was first announced. And I had high hopes for it as i thoroughly enjoyed the thai parent story 'Only Friends' for the drama and the messiness that it served to us viewers on a weekly basis. And this series did start off in the same way, with me enjoying Dean, Rome and Raffy to the fullest as these respective actors truly brought their role to life on the screen.
I felt that after the series progressed, the messiness was still there but was not as strong as I would have liked it to be. I felt that their issues were handled quickly, making me feel like if I was watching the other BL dramas with the way that they handled their issues. I am a fan of Earth/ Mixx with a small crush on Joss/Gawin and I will tell you here that the star main couple who stole the scenes every time that they were on was Aou/ Boom. They did a terrific job and was one of the main reasons why I wanted to continue watching this series.
It was nice catching up with some of the previous characters from 'Only Friends', especially Boston, as it seems that he has turned over a new leaf and is no longer the bitch who we know and loved from the first season. And I felt that the person who was really the bad person for this season wasn't really dealt with to my liking. Yes, the situation was dealt with, but the person should have suffered more. All in all, it was a good watch that needed to be more messy like it's previous one.
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I don’t usually wrote reviews but…
Who edited this show? The music is too much, not every scene needs music and more than half the time the music doesn’t even fit the scene it’s driving me insane!Why did they wait until episode 10 to finally get messy? Like this build up should have happened in episode 5!!
Why bring Boston back so early just to not use him for like 6 episodes?!
It feels like they rushed the show to make fans happy but I’d rather they took their time and did it properly.
This show is a mess but not in the way I was expecting but am I still watching it at this point… yes
Also side note gagaoolala really needs to work on the subtitles, almost every sentence was missing the ending of it. I just started filling in my own words..
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More Emotional, Hotter bodies, Fewer hookups
Season 2 of “Only Friends” gives us more plot, like real plot (and not just face cards and shirtless hot bodies), but less sexiness compared to the first season. Is that a good or bad thing, that depends on what you are looking for.“Dream On” has an excellent cast who can act (well, most of them). It explores more emotions, friendships and relationships, and fewer non-fixed pairing hookups. This is actually quite disappointing because you know who is going to end up with who, and there are no surprises, even with the appearance of shit stirrer, Boston. The lack of Boston and the chaos he brings are an injustice to those of us who like him very much in season 1. He’s a shit stirrer for sure, but at least he never tries to hide who he truly is.
Acting wise, Mix is my MVP. His character is chaotic, but real, charming but layered. Mix performed really well showing Dean’s changing emotions, even with subtle facial expressions. Despite Joss being so smoking hot, I have to say his acting is the worst of the 6 main leads. Granted, he was so much better than in “My Golden Blood”, but his frowning continues to make frequent appearances. Having said that, each pairing has excellent chemistry thus, even if the acting is not up to par, you can clearly see the actors know each other well and enjoy working together. When romance is front and center, having great chemistry is important to demonstrate all the sexual tension, jealousy, longing and seduction.
The pairings:
Dean + Jack
Dean deserves someone way better than the uber manipulative and selfish Jack. I was rooting for Dean to not end up with Jack in the end. Jack always has an upper hand in their relationship, when things are going well or not. Additionally, I get annoyed with Jack pushing up his glasses every few seconds. I know I am not going to get the ending that I want with this pair, but that’s OK. In life, there are lovers just like them.
Rome + Raffy
Something about playing Rome that makes Aou super sexy in this drama. I have never found him attractive until now. From the first moment Rome tries to seduce Raffy, to him being a dedicated non-backup, Rome has my heart. Similar to Dean, I also think Rome deserves someone better than that spoiled child. I don’t think Raffy grovels and suffers enough towards the end to deserve Rome.
Tua + Arnold
At least we get a cute and sweet pairing, after two toxic relationships. Their friends-to-lovers journey is a breath of fresh air especially when they both really seem like great guys. But this pair also has the weakest acting amongst the 6 main leads. Also, what is up with Tua’s stylist? How can a costume designer wear ugly shorts, white socks and black shoes all the time?
“Dream On” also tries to bring back characters from season 1 for different guest appearances. They are welcoming, though don’t always make sense and at times under-utilized. I realize I actually don’t miss most of them. With the ending of Season 2, doesn’t it mean Season 3 is in the works? Is GMMTV going to bring all the ships into this “Only Friends” series?
*edit*
I thought about my rating and lowered it to a solid 8.0 instead of 8.25. My love of Mix’s acting, Aou, the all-around somewhat decent acting and sexy hot bodies from Earth and Joss prompted me to give “Only Friends: Dream On” an 8. I am stingier and more critical than 3 years ago.
Completed: 5/16/2026 Review #688
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What happened???
I don't know if it was the wait for this or the fact that I rewatched the first one a week before I started this but I couldn't be more underwhelmed if I tried. Again AouBoom's chemistry saved yet another show. For Christ sake GMM can you give these 2 their own show already!!!! Mix was amazing as well and it was fun to see him doing something different but the highlights were the cameos by the first series cast. I expected this to be a beautiful chaotic mess like the first one and instead got a lame attempt at angst. I watch 90% of the last 2 episodes at 2x speed only slowing it down for AouBoom's parts. Maybe it's my fault for expecting more from a sequel when I should have know better. I'm sure if you watch this one first with no expectations it's probably pretty good but after watching the train wrecks made by Ray, Boston & Boeing this one just couldn't hold up.Was this review helpful to you?
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The sequel disaster ft. Only friends: dream on
I'll start the review by saying that much of my expectation from this sequel stemmed from its original series, which is half of the reason for season two’s poor performance.The story wasnt anything remarkable, the couple stories was nothing extraordinary. The same could be said about season 1, however, what really sets them apart is the toxic writing in season 1. The main part of the plot was the messy relationship between the characters, not the actual relationship itself. In season 2, they completely ignored this aspect, introduced a lousy messy trope to stir things up towards the climax and slapped a “season 2” on it.
I personally would've rated it higher if it weren't a sequel but at the same time, I wouldn't have picked up a mediocre plot such as this if it weren't an extension of only friends to begin with.
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This is no Season 2
I was so excited for this show, OF being one of my fav show and AouBoom my fav ship. First ep got me crazy, but then it kept going down and down until I had to survive through the hell of last ep.S1 was a bunch of lost kids acting on impulse and ending up hurting themselves. This show on the other hand, presents a bunch of lost kids overthinking, scheming against each other and ending up hurting everyone. It has nothing of the refreshing spontaneous messiness of s1. Only Rome did follow that vibe but it didn’t save the show.
The writing is clearly lacking. Having three couples in parallel usually creates a good show dynamic. But in this, the storylines often mirror each other (for example, fighting and getting back on good terms happen almost at the same time in the three storylines) which completely misses the point of having 3couples and just makes the whole thing repetitive, and thus boring.
The whole show includes very weak/cliché plot ideas (video leaking used twice (and being a reused of the leaked recording of S1), useless filling idea, the RomeRaffy interview in the last ep,...). I kept asking myself “WHY?” . I'm not saying everything should have a purpose, but when it's half of the episod, there's a problem.
But most importantly imo, is that this show is an apology to redflag behaviours. Yeah, I know, Season 1 is full of red flag behaviours and that’s why we love it. BUT they are being called out for it and hit by karma. Here, they are all forgiven or even rewarded: For example, asking someone out using social pressure, Tua being the worst “friend” ever but still got Dean (who’d done nothing wrong) to apologise to him, Pete stealing half of the play budget and still being around and well afterward, like nothing happened,.... Anyway, you’ve got my point. I’m not necessarily watching shows for the morality but those kind of sneaky redflag apology is really not to my liking. I want karma to hit the bitches.
Final beef with the writing is... I don’t have anything against no cross-pair kissing. That’s a choice (a bad one imo, but still a choice). But then DON’T SET IT UP LIKE IT’S GONNA HAPPEN. Every time, the whole plot would have made more sense if the kiss had happen. Do it so that your script makes sense or change your script. Don’t just go halfway.
Now a quick word on each couple:
JackDean : The trope is not what I usually like but EarthMix chemistry and Mix’s INSANE acting skills makes it totally worth the watch. Also they are the only couple going through actual character growth (although sadly not really well pictured), so that’s also good point for them. But IMO there are too many underused potential in their storyline.
RomeRaffy : They gave one of my fav tropes to my fav ship and still managed to get me bored at some point. I guess that can count as a skill. But how was impressed at how Boom has improved his acting so fucking much. I love him to death. I could spend hours praising that guy so better I stop here.
Arnold/Tua : I can’t say much cause I didn’t watch enough. JG’s acting skills are weak and cringe the hell out of me. But from what I saw, half of their scenes are useless fillers and Tua is the worst character of the whole serie. This guy shouldn’t even have a happy ending before serious character growth.
Boston : who ? Cause that was no Boston. Not even a more mature version of Boston. It feels like they needed someone to have some talk with Tua and they wanted to bring back all the characters from S1, just for the show, so they picked Boston.
Overall, EarthMix and AouBoom did their ultimate best considering the lousy writing their were given.
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