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Playing a diametrically opposite character, Por portrays a withdrawn, emotionally-suppressed musician.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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A tired story hidden behind good looks and fan hype

I really do not understand how Duang with You is getting so many perfect scores, because for me, it is completely overrated. It is a boring, everyday story in a school setting about two young people falling in love. It feels like a story I have already seen soo many times before. The plot is just a long line of episodes where one character keeps flirting and chasing the other until they finally give in and fall in love.

The young actors are good for their age, but they just do not feel real or believable as characters. The show relies too much on the fact that they are young and good-looking. While they are okay at the kissing and intimate scenes, even those moments do not feel natural to the story. Instead of showing the characters grow, the series just fills the long episodes with repetitive scenes and predictable problems that are not exciting at all.

Maybe I am just getting too old or have watched too many simple shows to enjoy another one like this. The high ratings seem to come mostly from dedicated couple-ship fans who give good scores because they love their idols, not because the show is actually good. It might be a nice show for a newer, younger generation of viewers who have not seen other similar BL shows before. But for anyone looking for a fresh or well-written story, this one is a disappointment.

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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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Romance or restraining order?

Duang With You is a bit of a special case. Because what you're signing up for is a very non-enjoyable ride across ten (so far) episodes.

You never really know what the next episode will bring, but one thing is guaranteed: it will be absolutely filled (and I mean FILLED) with exaggerated sound effects, and Duang acting like a borderline obsessive stalker for a solid chunk of the show. Mostly tho, he behaves like an actual child. A grown man, acting like he’s five. And unfortunately, it doesn’t really improve as the series goes on, he remains just as frustrating throughout.

No shade to the actor, though. Honestly, all the actors are doing a great job, this is very much a writing issue, not a performance one.

The premise itself doesn’t really prepare you for the kind of “methods” Duang uses, so you go in more or less blind, and then it hits you like a truck. Him digging up information about a complete stranger just because he finds him cute might sound harmless at first but that’s really just the beginning. Soon enough, he and his friends (who, by the way, are far more interesting characters than he is) are literally following this guy everywhere. And sure, I’ve done similiar things when I had a crush, but I was 12. This is a COLLEGE student we're talking about. But hey, it’s fine, right? He means no harm, so it's cute :3

And even if you somehow get past that (which… good luck), there’s another issue: the drama. It’s there purely for the sake of being there. It adds no real value, and it’s hard to take any of it seriously because it all feels so hollow. Gotta admit, I had to skip them later on.

Qin, on the other hand, is actually a great character. He has a genuinely interesting backstory and, most importantly, doesn’t make me want to punch my screen every time he speaks. Meanwhile Duang, feels like the emptiest character in the entire show. Even some of the side characters have more depth than he does lmao. Which is honestly kind of wild and sad.

But the NC scenes? Absolutely delicious. If only the rest of the show matched that level of quality.

In conclusion, this show is probably one of the biggest messes I’ve seen in a while. It tries really hard to be quirky and funny, but instead just ends up being exhausting and, at times, genuinely irritating. The high rating set my expectations way too high only for them to get crushed almost immediately. Just another piece in the BL industry that unfortunately, brings very little to the table.

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Sinceramente no veo como esta serie tiene una puntuación de 9.0. Por favor si estas puntuación se los dan los fan a los actores; les voy a pedir que los apolen en las redes sociales pero no en páginas como esta donde se le da una calificación a un colectivo completo, en páginas como esta tenemos que ser sinceros porque lo que están diciendo que esta historia, guion, directores etc... Vale esa puntuación y en verdad esta serie no pasa de ser una más del montón. Tal parece que los guionistas se copian entre ellos. Saben pueden buscar entre las literaturas clásicas o las grande pelis a ver si la musa se les aparece y crean algo diferente.
Lo bueno que vi:
Fue la actuación de TeeTee Wanpichit Nimitparkpoom dado que tenía un personaje complicado, no todos los actores pueden hacer un personaje con este estilo artístico de “sobreactuación”. No es un estilo que me guste, la mayoría de las veces rechazo al personaje pero esta vez me reí muchísimo. Creo que lo trabajo muy bien.
La actuación en general fue aceptable con la excepción de las escenas de llanto de Por Suppakarn Jirachotikul. Horrible esa escena. Debieron grabarlas hasta ver la lágrima rodar por la mejilla.
Le agradezco al guionista o al director que no se le ocurriera la idea de emparejar a los amigos de duang con los de Qinn.
Lo malo que vi:
12 capitulo son mucho para una serie que no tenido contenido alguno.
Se habla del abuso que sufrió Qinn de niño, pero no del tiempo que hubo desde que finalizó ese abuso hasta la conversación con sus padres. Acaso no tubo otras personas buenas que lo acompaño ese tiempo mientras crecía y se desarrollaba como indebido. El psicólogo no le dijo que Qinn debía seguir en tratamiento esta que llegara a superar etc... Fue el único tema que tuvo valor aquí como para 12 capitulo pero el guionista o directores no les parecieron.
Pusieron a como un tonto en todos los sentidos. No solo en el aspecto romántico (que sería en este tema una sobreactuación dando paso a la comedia). El padre, el hermano, los amigo etc… le hacen burlas y para colmo Qinn lo mira como si él fuera una papa podrida o algo por el estilo y a eso súmale que no tiene sueños propios.En fin este personaje tuvo más escenas vergonzosas que comicas. Ablaro me gusto la actuacion de TeeTee Wanpichit Nimitparkpoom pero no el personaje “duang”

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Worth the Hype.... Just go for it.

I just finished watching Duang with you, and honestly, it’s a solid 10/10. This show is absolutely beautiful in every sense—storytelling, characters, and emotional depth all come together perfectly. The characters feel so real and well-developed that you can’t help but get attached to them.

It truly lives up to all the hype and then some. By the end, I was left speechless—it’s one of those rare shows that’s hard to describe because of how deeply it resonates. I loved every moment of it, and it’s definitely something I’ll remember for a long time.

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A breeze of fresh air, a fresh plate of pancakes

If three years ago you would have told me that Domundi was going to produce a heartfelt, university romance where two autistic boys fell in love, while also discussing parental neglect and abuse, the risks of love bombing, and showcasing what is nothing short of a trauma response; all the while drizzling the corniest and most delightful humour on top of it – I would have probably laughed out loud.
Now, I am happy to be proven wrong.
Duang With You is, if I may continue with my syrup metaphor, a stack of pancakes. Complete with blueberry jam, whipped cream and syrup. Mistakenly, at first, I thought I was going to eat it the same way I ate 2gether: happily guzzling the sweetness of what is presented, while the tanginess of the blueberries would be an after taste a couple of episodes would give us after some sloppy pacing.
Once again, I love to be proven wrong, for Duang With You needs to be savoured pancake by pancake, episode by episode. Some pancakes you will enjoy with the funny whipped cream of Duang and his friend’s shenanigans to get Qin to fall for him. Some others you will also sponge in some of that delicious syrup when Qin starts to sweeten up for Duang. And then, you will get to the pancakes that have been soaking in the tanginess of the blueberry jam. And then, full already, you will realise that this show has been preparing you for one of the most graphic and well-acted scenes of child abuse. And the result of that on an untreated, traumatized young boy. You will look for a scoop of whipped cream, for a drizzle of syrup, but this show is going to tell you to wait, to understand that life comes with its horrors and its blessings, and that sometimes having the right person by your side is what you needed all along. Not someone to save you, or solve it for you: but someone who hugs you through it. Someone who just wants validation, an OK, the green light from you to be let in.
And then, it’s whipped cream and syrup again. You can still taste the lingering tanginess, but you know it’ll fade out eventually. It too shall pass.
I don’t think I can describe this any better, I don’t think I want to. This show is a genuinely beautiful experience, perfectly crafted and paced, and even more so acted by two debutant actors who committed to their roles with professional care and responsibility. The environment and setting of this show are constructed so meticulously, every detail helps you piece the character’s inside world like a fun little jigsaw puzzle. A small hint from Duang to help you fall in love with him. Domundi hasn’t come out to play, they are coming to clean out some tropes, and refresh the stale air of the Thail BL world.

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CAN I HAVE 30 MORE EPISODES?

I've been patiently waiting a year for their series; I was there the first day and now I gotta accept we'll not gonna see more eps. So, to say I'm sad it's just the least.

This show has become really special to me, maybe the fact that I'm a pttp fan helped with that but I really think It was an amazing series and not just Teeteepor, the rest of the cast deserves all that hype just the same!

Of course I still have my doubts about some things...like Qin's parents' storyline; I probably didn't expect it to be resolved so easily. Or Wave's limited screen time. So, did he or didn't he have a partner? I got excited about the Cherry/Tong situation and that was it? I definitely expected to know a little more about his character but that didn't happened.

But I'm definitely going to miss these months. If you follow the cast and pttp(you should)on socmed you know how fun and special these months have been and now I'm simply too attached to let duangqin go(I think i'll keep rewatching dwy until my final days)

To my dear por and teetee: THANK YOU. I don't think anyone could play duang and qin like you did. I'm so proud of you and I'm already happily awaiting your next project. I LOVE PTTP AND DUANG WITH YOU SO MUCH!!!

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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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