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This was so adorable
This series was absolutely hilarious, in a way it sometimes made me feel embarrassed. I haven't really watched a bl in months that made me giggle, not skip and in adore. This series made me laugh so much. It's cute and soft. Especially in the beginning I was extremely embarrassed by hill. I can't really judge the series by this, but the use of AI is annoying me so much, I bet there's many artists out there who would love to make the designs for the series... I'm glad that, I don't think they did, they didn't use ai for Yuka-chan.Anyways aside from that, I really love the way everyone at the office hipped them at the beginning and it made them fall in love, I kinda missed the falling in love part since it wasn't super strong but after art came at least for Hill it seemed to increase and he finally realised it, lowkey, thanks Art. Anyways I loved how funny the office was, THE SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT THO....
I was quite surprise Junji liked it? Well I mean it's fine, but I was really expecting Junji to fire Hill. Anyways, with these types of Bl, I can just correctly guess what is gonna happen... but that didn't really ruin this series for me. I really like how Junji is such an understandable character. Like why was bro not mad at Jeans? Anyways both are extremely green flags, I like that :3
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A marriage of Thai and Japanese people and culture
Mukai Koji is the only Japanese actor who spoke the entire Thai language in this Thai drama, where all the staff and cast were Thai. He plays a strong-willed, strict, yet kind boss with fluent Thai and the way he uses his gaze and facial expressions. He has good chemistry with his co-star, Thai actor March, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their love story will progress.Was this review helpful to you?
The script and actors are fantastic!
There are many hints scattered throughout the story from the beginning, and it's refreshing to see them all come together as the story progresses.Not only is the script excellent, but the actors' performances are also wonderful, making you empathize with the characters.
It's a drama that will make you cry, laugh and move you throughout the whole thing.
The pure love between Hill and Junji is very heartwarming .
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“Thai × Japanese Perfection
Dating Game really surprised me in the best way. I didn’t expect it to carry such deep meaning, but the mix of Thai and Japanese cultures made it even more special. I loved the connection between Hill and Sakurai Junji — Junji’s quiet dedication and how he became Hill’s hidden inspiration showed how deeply one person’s presence can change another’s life.I also adored Phat and Bay — Bay’s influence on Phat was beautiful. Their relationship showed that love is worth the risk, even when you fear your family might not understand. The way they connected and communicated felt genuine and warm.
Overall, Dating Game is more than a romance; it’s about growth, support, and the unseen bonds that shape us. I truly recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I enjoyed it more than i should :)
okay guys this is actually a simple story and has a few flaws but.. i genuinely enjoyed watching it. this series seriously deserves to be called a comfort show, it’s sweet, sometimes cringy, and i get that not everyone is convinced by the conversations with yuka, but honestly in times where people talk about their mental health problems with chat gpt, talking to a game avatar doesn’t even feel that unbelievable anymore. i do think it’s kinda naive to believe yuka helped a traumatized teenager instead of actual therapy, but i blame that on fiction logic.i really liked the whole story of the main couple, both actors were convincing, and actor playing junji being japanese really deserves praise for learning all of his lines in thai. i also think there could’ve been more romantic moments between them, especially compared to the second couple. so.. this series is genuinely worth giving a chance.
and now that i already praised what i liked, here are some flaws:
first of all, the second couple and the guy who’s a chef — why are his mother and sister gaslighting him? the mother is toxic and forbids her kids from dating, and in the end the whole storyline basically gets resolved with “actually dating is okay because she dates too” and everyone just smiles about it? they also did absolutely nothing with the father storyline, they showed him once in the hospital and then just dropped it :/ i genuinely don’t understand it, and overall all those family issues with pat, i think that was his name, were a complete mess.
meanwhile his boyfriend, despite being accused of being a playboy, was honestly a walking green flag in my opinion — supportive, caring, genuinely a really good partner, and by thai BL standards that’s not even a green flag anymore, that’s a whole green forest.
also i need to add that the last 12 minutes of the final episode almost got me with that tragic junji tone.. i thought i was gonna have to get mad and lower my rating, but they’re lucky they explained it in the end :D so it stays a 9. i think i’d gladly rewatch this someday!
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Skip
This drama was soooo boring. But worse, it was rage inducing at times. Phat's whole family just gaslighting him like it's no big deal makes me want to punch someone. What's worse is this is never really addressed either.And for the main couple, these is really nothing here. It's a cute romance, but honestly Hill's character is what makes the entire show worse than it otherwise could have been. I'm just tired of writers making a character overly brain dead and expect the audience to find it endearing. It's not! What is endearing about his character is his forgiving and sweet nature that is rarely showcased, or when it is, its not utilized to its full potential. For example, when Hill took Junji on the date, it was for the task, but him making the festival for Junji was just Hill wanting to make someone he cared about happy and there should have been a clearer divide between these two things to emphasize why Junji couldn't help falling in love with Hill. I think I'm more pissed off because the plot is fun and the elements where there, and we get this.
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Fun watch with a slow-burn storyline that keeps things unpredictable
This is a fun watch with a slow-burn storyline that keeps things unpredictable. I like how the series builds emotional tension and delivers “kilig” moments in a way that feels natural rather than forced.
The characters also stand out for their strong work ethic and professionalism, even when dealing with a toxic work culture around them, which adds an interesting contrast to the romance.
Overall, it feels like a bit of a fantasy escape for me—which is probably why it brings so much joy while watching.
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Very Cheesy! But overall 'feel good' series
I really liked seeing Fluke in a supporting role a little more developed and mature. Judo, as a supporting cast, was so good... I wish he had more lead roles with, or without, Fluke (preferably with💜).As for the leads, I like both individually, having seen them in separate productions, but together the chemistry wasn't completely there. Granted, final 2 episodes it was better. March is a great actor with the types of roles similar to DG, but his pairing with Koji Mukai didn't click 100% of the time. I've seen Koji-san in many Japanese television productions (mostly crime & serious drama), so I was excited for this. While it was a great weekend binge, I would have preferred something a bit more mature between the leads (prior to the final 2 episodes); we experienced that with Judo/Fluke throughout, but not with Mukai and March.
Story is great! Would have been a great 18+ series as well, but I get it.
Settings were nice and the parents were well casted.
I probably won't watch this again, which is rare for me, but don't regret seeing it. The only miss for this series is the missing chemistry between the leads.
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The plot isn't bad but some part deserve better writting. Some part didn't make sense. Like why would they make random person do fanmeeting even if they are the inspiration for a game??? Why would they put an engineer to chara design in a game? Especially if he just come into the business. But I put my logical thinking aside and I enjoy it.
I don't know if it netflix, but some part are weirdly cut?? Like the screen freeze for a second and moving to the next scene?? And yes my phone was working.
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Starpacked but still average
When you see the names of the actors in this bl drama, you expect to see some seriously fine acting. Most of the leads ánd supporting cast have a long, long list of experience in drama's, BL or otherwise.So now that I've completed the series, I'm a little disappointed. Yes, the acting is quite solid, but nowhere outstanding. That's mainly due to the flimsy script, that is overflowing with clichés and never challenges the actors at all.
Fluke is one of my all-time favorite actors and he does a great job as chef Phat. That job is mainly looking ethereally pretty. What a waste of skill!
I was also very distracted by Junji's Thai speaking, which sounded very slow and emphasized. But I'm not a Thai speaker so what do I know.
The ending was a bit weird and felt rushed. Why not communicate for 2 whole days? I would be unamused..
There were some other strange plotpoints. An ex returning after 7 (seven!) years expecting to rekindle the flame because now all of a sudden he realized his love. Like, what happened in the meantime dude?
Bay totally disappearing for months due to 1 incident and showing up at an event making up (and out) on stage.
A scandal that would never be an actual scandal and is in total contrast to the simultaneous shipping going on.
Phat's mom doing a 360 out of nowhere and no one is mad
What ultimately happened to Phat's father?
Why is emergency contact called for a cut on a finger?
The romance part though is nice and fluffy. 2 different kind of romances, both with good chemistry and cute. Best part seeing Junji fall for Hill.
Overall very mediocre but still ok.
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Season2
My intuition says: there might be a sequel. The Clues. This is a Thai-Japanese co-production. In this series, the atmosphere is rooted in Thai culture. However, towards the end, the atmosphere shifts to Japanese culture. The Thai language - spoken by the main characters - is switched to Japanese. The action moves to Japan. (Similar situation to the series "Kiseki: Chapter 2" / "Season of Love in Shimane" and the films "Present Perfect" / "Still Present Perfect".) The story itself somehow remains unresolved. The two main actors (Hill & Junji / March & Kôji) work much better together from episode 7 onwards and eventually gradually achieve a truly wonderful chemistry - it would be a shame not to use this in the near future (although Mukai Kôji has another excellent partner in the BL film "(Love Song)", also a Thai-Japanese co-production from 2025 - Morisaki Win). There is drama - for sure - but the real drama could still come; I can even imagine how. For example, the camera lingers too much on that tall, handsome Japanese guy in episode 12; he could be the main antagonist in a possible love triangle...I would love to see the story continue. It's not a perfect BL, but it's a very comforting series, with good vibes and surprisingly skilled acting, full of emotions and mutual understanding. The crying scenes (Hill and Junji) - both the first and the last one - touched me quite a bit, which is rare, the last time it was like that when I watched "Love Sick (2024)" - when Phun asked Noh to be his boyfriend. Fluke and Poppy were good as usual, but Judo as Bas was a very pleasant surprise for me. If I had to describe this series in one word, it would be: SINCERITY. The relationship between Junji and Hill is so sincere that it turns into genuine warmth, deep hope and a beautiful sense of belonging through a fruitful mutual expression of true love. So, the next season could be crowned with a marriage - like many other Thai BL series lately - however, this time it won't be rushed, but justified by the blessing of experienced love, which started as love at first sight in Bangkok, will continue in Tokyo and end with a wedding in Thailand.
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The first Thai-JPN Drama
Dating Game The Series is the first Thai–Japanese drama, and also the first with a Japanese lead! I can truly see how much effort the production team put into it. I haven’t watched Thai dramas for a while, but this one really impressed me—the attention to detail and the storyline will surely influence the Thai drama industry in the future.A big thanks to all the cast and staff for bringing this drama so close to perfection. I’m already looking forward to Season 2!
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