Duang with You

Fascinating characters betrayed by easy clichés

“Duang With You” arrived with tremendous promise, charm, and a breakthrough couple in TeeTeePor. TeeTee displayed a genius for playing “goofy.” Most “golden retriever” actors play goofy to the camera, and it eventually becomes trite, but TeeTee played “goofy” in character and to his scene partner without it ever feeling forced. That is hard, and I was impressed.

Playing a diametrically opposite character, Por portrays a withdrawn, emotionally-suppressed musician. In other hands that could quickly have become a stereotype, but Por imbued his role with an odd, almost hypnotic intensity that gave his silence weight. That is also hard, and I was also impressed.

That set up the opportunity for two interesting, unusual characters to discover each other and grow together, but the series ultimately falters due to the writers' and director's profound lack of trust in their own characters. Instead of allowing the relationship to flourish through the agency of its leads, the production retreats into the easy cliché of introducing “drama” with a capital “D” in episode 10. Not only was it the cliché of using conflict as a substitute for character development, the conflict was such an extreme and horrific tonal whiplash as to completely jar the viewer out of the story.

The true tragedy wasn’t the backstory; it was that the production team abandoned its unique voice for a checklist of clichés. “Duang With You” is a frustrating reminder that many creators still haven't learned that a well-written character is more compelling than a sudden, unearned tragedy.

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Nice but uhmmm

I really liked Duang with You, don’t get me wrong but it really cringed me out at times. Of course I love the acting and characters but there were times where Duang acted too childish in my opinion rather than someone who is supposed to be in college, but he was endearing at times as well. Also, it’s pacing was kinda slow, it took quite a while for them to get together and problems kept coming in a way that was trying the drag the whole thing out. But, it a nice but one run was good and I wouldn’t go out of my way to sit through this again. But, it was overall nice, I liked the stories, and loved laughing at some scenes!

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Convincing chemistry saving sluggishly paced story

I quite enjoyed this BL featuring the romance between grumpy music student Qin and sunshine art student Duang. The cat and dog energy was in full force with them, making their dynamics fun and sweet to follow.

I really liked the way that TeeTee played Duang...It might have felt like A LOT in the first quarter of the series but as I get used to it, I became quite endeared by the character...which I must admit is probably a mirror of how Qin, the tsundere cold student felt, facing the over the top puppy energy of his suitor. The romance beginning could have felt stalkerish for some but I was charmed by the sweetness of it all, as well as the unexpected layers of the two main characters.

Was it without flaws? Certainly not. The pacing was properly sluggish, with a lot of screen time devoted to competitions and school aspects that did not really matter in the grand scheme of the story. Half the series felt like fillers but still, as I got more and more endeared by their relationship, I followed quite happily the less inspired moments of the story.

Another big flaw of the story is coming from the secondary couple played by Otto and North. I had a good prior feeling about the cast, having watched all the seasons of DMD Friendship, but unfortunately Otto and North definitely needed more time to be able to carry their storyline, which was clumsily written and felt very awkward with the recurring English talking...Maybe sticking to just speaking Thai would have already helped them? Having said that, I quite enjoyed the other relationships with the friend group being really cute to watch when bantering with Duang.

The production value was very good. DoMunDi production is proving once again that they can really develop a vibe specific to a show while maintaining great filming quality. It just feel done with care and budget. The soundtrack was not outstanding though, except the credits song, nothing really memorable to me, which is a bit of a shame given the central place of music in the story.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a sweet student BL with a sunshine x grumpy romance. The story could definitely be better paced and not every arcs is worth that much screen time...But the romance evolution, the unexpected deeper moments really save the series and make it worth a try.

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Forget Seinfeld — this show is really about nothing

I’ll start by saying this: Duang With You is a show I genuinely enjoyed (excluding the last episode).

Which is confusing, because on paper, it checks off almost all of my pet peeves:

1. First, the fillers. So many fillers. For a 12-episode series where each episode runs over an hour, there’s really no justification for how padded this felt. We get Duang sitting solemnly. Qin sitting solemnly. Duang and Qin sitting solemnly together. Entire sequences of a basketball game, a gym lesson, multiple meals (ramen, shrimp and rice, shrimp and rice again and again), and even full songs played out in their entirety.

2. Instead of a cohesive arc, the show operates on a chain of “and then” storytelling. One thing happens, and then another thing happens, and then another without much connective tissue. The final episode is where this becomes impossible to ignore. With most of the already-thin plot wrapped up, it turns into a string of loosely connected scenes rather than a conclusion.

3. Side characters don’t help. It’s clear there’s an attempt to give as many DMD artists as possible screen time, but many characters appear once and add absolutely nothing to the story (or what little there is of it).

4. Unnecessary side couple (?) The Jaime–Marvis side story is particularly baffling.
If North–Otto are supposed to function as a couple, the show doesn’t really commit to it—
there’s virtually no intimacy shown. And if characters are going to switch to English because that's their mother tongue , it would help if the delivery felt natural. As it stands, the English dialogue is awkward at best and completely unnecessary at worst. It would have been better to have just dropped that part (from the novel, i guess?) all together.

5. infantilization. I can tolerate a certain level of childish charm (it’s part of the genre) but Duang With You pushes it past the breaking point. At times, it feels less like watching adults and more like watching animated characters in human form.

And yet, I still had fun.

A big part of that comes down to Teetee, who absolutely steals the show. His character could have easily been unbearable, a walking red flag with no nuance, but instead, he’s magnetic. Even at his worst, you’re rooting for him. That kind of charisma isn’t something you can manufacture.
The “fearsome threesome” (Duang, Jaime, Pae) is another highlight. Their dynamic is exactly the kind of friendship representation I wish we saw more often: messy, loyal, and genuinely entertaining. I could have watched an entire series centered just on them.

TeeTeePor also bring something special. Their chemistry, both physical and emotional, feels natural and grounded in a way that cuts through the show’s more artificial elements. There’s real potential there, and I’m excited to see where they go next.

And while the musical numbers can feel forced, they’re undeniably well done. When the show leans into them, it actually works.

Overall, Duang With You is a fun, frustrating, oddly charming series that desperately needed tighter editing and a clearer narrative focus.

It’s a show about nothing, but sometimes, that nothing is still enjoyable to watch.

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For me it was average drama. It was watchable...
What work for me
The friendship shown in the drama was pretty good. The character Qin was what i like he wasn't typical "no communication" person that i thought he would be. He actually initiate to communicate/ discuss the problem with duang... he solve the issue in its bud no big misunderstanding between patners. The second couple has so much potential which left untouched i wanted to see more of their scenes but...
What didn't work for me
The duang character don't get me wrong but the "golder retriever" boyfriend was pretty cringe for me personally. From the beginning when he acts cute an all i was getting goosebumps... another point was the sound effect which was unnecessary it ruins the scenes for me. The duang actor acting was good when he acts serious/ mature but when acting cute it was not working. As for Qin trauma there was not enough time/ scenes that could actually be felt by audience as i expected...it was just a small part when the trauma has hunted qin for life which was not enough...i couldn't connect to the character than i expected.
If you're first time bl watcher this can be a starting drama also if you like fluff without much drama you can go for it. For now I'm dropping the drama at 10 if i feel like it maybe i will complete it in future.
Also important if you are watching it in YouTube you will get cut version please watch uncut version as in cut version there was many important scenes that were missing which connects the whole drama plot.

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Duang Without Me

My review of this series will certainly not fit into the vast and I do mean vast majority of viewers of this series. For me, I simply did not get its appeal, outside of the obvious. However, how far can gorgeous, and I do mean stunningly handsome, young men take this story? I hate to make the contrast but if this series was composed of not so stunningly Adonizes, would there be such a mad flow to rate this series so high? Or perhaps even if one of them had even been marginally defective in some capacity. I think not, for if you honestly assessed it, the story itself is rather mundane and primarily relied on the God-given obvious assets inherent in the actors’ physical appearances. So, I want to take a step back from the apparent and appraise this series on how it emended me. And to be quite honest, I found this series to be woefully limited. While I know I am probably not in the typical demographics of those watching this particular type of BL, as my perspective of this series is going to be vastly skewed. Plus, I also know the vast majority of viewers are quite positive about this series. I simply cannot agree with that assessment. What I am disturbed about and find most disconcerting is the image that somehow this is representative of gay relationships, which all BLs are. In their world, nearly everyone is gay and everyone seemingly accepts gay unions as ‘normal’. That is NOT the case and Qin and Duang should have been made to, at the very least, have some obstacles to their relationship so that others who think ‘it is a walk in the park’ for us, realize it is not. I would also like to see some sense of maturity also develop in these BL relationships especially Thai ones, so that there is not this emphasis on Pollyanna endings and development of sugar-coated connections so that all one has to do is flitter one’s eyelids, act like a dog, and prostrate yourself before someone and pledge your devotion entirely to your loved one and you will then live in nirvana for the rest of your life. That is just not the case.
Unquestionably, this is an entertaining BL; just not for me, however. I could not overcome the story’s flaws but found the portrayal of Marvis and Jamie so much more real and erotic than the connection between Duang and Qin. There are a few surprises but for me not enough to carry me over the finish line into thinking this was a great or even good series.

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Holy snoozefest

I saw edits of this and wanted to watch it. Episode one was nice, characters funny. Then it went downhill from there. The whole plot is Duang chasing after his crush, then a ton of useless dialogue which doesn't even move the plot forward. You could definitely tell that they didn't have a huge budget, often showing them in the same three places. If you don't like fluff just skip this. Another typical college romance where they sing and try too hard to make the mc seem like a "puppy" by the way he constantly whines and grabs onto the ml. I recommend skipping over the first 5 episodes all together. I had it on 2x speed and I STILL skipped over. Boring and unoriginal. The actors did a terrific job tho so I hope they'd act in a more interesting bl!

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Frustrating fluff

Okay, let me start by saying that I wanted to like this. I started off liking it. Golden retriever and black cat characters? Excellent. I found the cringe to be endearing at first. It seemed like the show understood that it was silly, and was having fun. About episode 9 is where I feel like it lost its way. Introducing Qin's backstory at that late stage was like a slap in the face. It was around the same time that the characters finally became boyfriends and were intimate. Off screen. Don't be fooled, there's zero NC scenes in this show. They build sexual tension and then do very conservative fade-to-black cuts. (even the actors seemed surprised by the cuts when watching) ANYway. That episode was the death knell for me, but I kept watching to see if it could recover.

There are many, many singing scenes. Probably the actors are also singers so I guess this is required. As usual, I skip through the songs. What made me give up entirely is how the plot line with the parents was resolved. It was just so bad. Totally unbelievable. All those years of staying silent, and in one scene it's all fixed.

The redeeming quality is the lead actors. Even through all the ridiculous doggy panting, Tee managed to seem genuine. And Por somehow made Qin to be likeable despite how cold his character is supposed to be. I hope that the next show they're in has a better script.

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DUANG Really Said "TO BE CRINGE IS TO BE FREE"

Not The Best, but Still Good -->> Lives upto the novel's name.
To be honest, I had no hope in starting this series because I knew this would one of those cute-cute series again. But as someone who desperately wanted to see Por's acting onscreen again, i gave it a go. This series is mostly eye candy as the acting isn't that great to which I'm not blaming as they are new to industry. But they have somehow managed to bring emotions to it via
• Qin's past
• his traumas
• his complicated relationship with his parents • his reserved nature (to which I mostly resonate with)
• of how Qin views duang's family
Some scenes were jumpy, abrupt character development with reckless bits of story in between.
Hope to see more of NorthOtto (JamieMarvis) and ThiWave (TongPae). Overall lowkey my fav characters were Jamie , Tong and Pae. (& obvi, Duang's parents)

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Duang with You is overhyped and overrated, but it was fine I guess..

Disclaimer!! This is my opinion, and let me know if you disagree or agree!

So first off, I want to start with Duang's character. The show makes him out to be a person who is the "golden retriever" in the relationship, but it just didn't do it for me. I found his character sometimes annoying and frustrating. Why? He's supposed to be a college student, but acts like he's five. I get that might be his personality, but why are you sticking out your tongue like a dog? Honestly, the only time I found his behavior funny was when he was actually making a joke, not acting like he was immature and a baby. I'd honestly would have liked to see more of his serious side and vulnerable side, but there were only two moments, so I guess not? I might seem like the fun police, but I don't find it funny when an adult acts like a baby. Leave that to the millennials.

Next, I want to get into Qinn's character. Opposite of Duang and his "golden retriever" personality, he is perceived as the "black cat" of the relationship, but as it didn't work out for Duang, it didn't work out for Qinn either. I found his character to be not self-centered, but ignorant. Qinn gives Duang permission to pursue him and doesn't even show a slight interest in the first 5-6 episodes. I also found it stupid of the writers to set up the beginning like that just for Qinn to not give the slightest shit and get annoyed every time Duang popped up. He didn't even start being interested until episode 5 or 6. I know his character is closed off because of his past with the trauma and ex-crush, but come on. Couldn't you just reciprocate with just a "I like you back, but I don't know how to show it" or something along those lines? I would have liked that, but Qinn just didn't do that.

Now, the whole plot was a good idea. An extroverted college art student pursuing a career as a cold jazz singer who also went to his college. It had potential, but due to the writing and pacing, it felt odd. Qinn not recepricating til episode 6 gave off that Duang was a creep and stalkerish. I know it was not like that in the show, but if you think outside of the show. Even when they did get together, it felt like they weren't. I don't know.

The relationship aspect of it was ehhh. As I said throughout this whole review, it took a while for Qinn to warm up to Duang. We finally got them together in episode 6, I'm pretty sure. Oh wait, WRONG! Qinnn's ex comes in and fucks up shit. Not like there wasn't shit going on, but it was unnecessary for him to try to win him back now, when he could have done it before Duang came into the picture. The whole ex-plot line was in early high school, and the main plot line was in early college. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. The ex would have had a lot of time to make up with him in that crunch of time before Duang came in. Also, the way Duang handled the ex coming in just had me like, what happened to the Duang who apparently "never gave up" and just became sad. Pmo.

Qinn's trauma and backstory were not well done, as they could have been. As I said, it was a good idea, but they absolutely didn't handle it well. As a kid, the babysitter his parents got "abused" him, not like hitting, but tried to make Qinn eat dirt and yelled at him. Kinda off putting and bold. That is very traumatic, and I understand why that would make him the way he is, but I wouldn't think that it would make him socially distant in a relationship. The scene where he yells at his parents for not being there for him was fine. I liked how Duang comforted him and calmed him in his arms, a moment where I didn't find Duang's character immature. THEN, in the next scene, Qinn's mom is rubbing him and hugging him? What happened to being mad?! The parents and Qinn didn't even go into a stage where they were trying to find ways to get back with him; the writers just skipped it. Another issue with the pacing.

The side story with Jamie Marvis. I don't wanna say I hated it, but I just was kinda confused. They were meant to be a sexy and intimate couple. But instead, they got barely any screen time, and had no spicy scenes, while Qinn and Duang had multiple, and didn't seem like the couple to do that after they got to be in a couple and be emotionally intimate first; however, they didn't. A side note to JamieMarvis is the English-speaking. I didn't hate it, but found it unnecessary and kinda cringe. Although they are following the novel, so I guess go off kings. I would have liked to see more of Jamie being inspired by Duang and trying to get Marivs to be his actual boyfriend, but their trope was friends with benefits, so.

The acting was okay. Nothing jaw-dropping, the only "good" acting was when Qinn was yelling at his parents. When Qinn acted sad, it didn't feel genuine and just felt like ehhh. What could I say about Tee Tee's acting and Por's? They could improve, but this is their debut series, and the acting was alright, so I can't be mad. Not to mention, they were in a singing group first, so I can't be harsh with them.


Overall? I think this series could have been written better, acted better, and honestly? It is kinda overhyped and overrated for a series with a mid-plot. I've seen better shows that are so much, well, I wouldn't say better, but in my opinion, with elements that Duang with You just didn't have.

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My happy place!

I really loved this series, every week i was looking foreward to the next episode. This series made me so happy, The bubbly, cute and funny Duang was the highlight of my week. Qinn slowly getting softer to Duang was the sweetest thing ever! The story was great en very good executed. I want to give big probs to the very young actor that played the Young Qinn, he was amazing!!! I really felt his pain, it broke my heart...
I also loved that they had the " what about sex" talk, that's so important and i've never seen that in a drama.
It had beautiful visuals and good music.

Teetee and Por are amazing actors and that at such a young age. Their dyamics and chemistry are so good! The NC scenes and kisses were amazing! Really surprising for actors so young to capture and express those feelings so good.

Even though i am not a fan of North, his pairing with Otto works, they have good chemistry.
And Wave also did a great job, there is something in his acting that i really like.

I will watch this drama many more times in the future whenever i need a happy bubbly drama. And yes, there are a few sad parts, but the happyness and sweetness makes it all good in the end.

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