Player

One of best GL released on 2025

This series is too underrated, seriously.

Top tier writing and directing.
Great pacing, layers, and build up. Cinematography and editing are on point too.
The actresses are doing great job! Especially during emotional moments. They nailed the comedic ones too. God, I'm obsessed!

A few first episode is light and fun with some comedic scene, gradually becomes a little bit more sweet and heartwarming, then angsty heart wrenching in the later episodes.
Each episode is like giving me a or some pieces of puzzle that makes me understand the characters action more, what they have been through and shaped them, while never justify what they've done.

If you want toxic grey character yuri, this is for you.
Please watch it until the end and pay attention to their dialogues.
Some people might dropped it in the early episode because they thought it's just a plain romcom, no it's not.

Read More

No, it didn’t have a ‘slow’ start

The pacing of this series was good, it had a solid start with the conflict that would lead the character, pun, to go back to Thailand and meet the other main character ploy. The relationship between the two developed well, they got to know each other and actually talk before anything happened between them…and I know the bar is in hell, but there was no non-consensual kisses or anything like that. However you shouldn’t go into this series expecting healthy communication, or green flag characters, if anything, expect the opposite…the characters are very messy and complicated and almost toxic, in my opinions, it was toxicity done well – with no power imbalance where one character is the weak poor heroine and the other character is the alpha that she will fix lol.
All the side characters were good too, pun’s friends were hilarious and I loved every second of them on my screen, pun’s sister and her partner as well; they were great and their story was nice without it feeling like a whole other side series within the main series.
The directing was excellent, this is my second series from this director and her work is admirable. The cinematography was gorgeous, the coloring is so pretty and the places where this was shot were well picked….overall I give the cinematography 10/10.
The ost wasn’t all that but the music choices were good and they never felt out of the place.
The acting is also amazing, it’s hard to believe this is memi’s first acting job, she did so well, her facial expressions, the way she conveys emotions, and gives every scene her all.. give her all the awards right now.
Lastly, I think this is worth watching, I had so much fun watching it…the comedy is top notch and the romance is great…the chemistry between ice and memi is through the roof, I love how they just fit together. It is also worth mentioning that there is no homophobic relatives or homophobic ex-boyfriend.
It is also worth rewatching, and that’s what I’ll do now that it is over :).
overall if you like toxic yuri and red flag characters, you should definitely watch player !!!

Read More

A masterclass in angst pacing.

Player was a series I went into with low expectations. Having watched the pilot, knowing it was from P’Ize and the work that went into it, I still didn’t believe I would enjoy both the plot and the style of the show itself. I expected a pretty generic storyline with a heavy dose of gl tropes and some cute moments with not a lot of substance or gravity. Instead what I got was an emphatically emotional experience that I would classify as a masterpiece in true angst pacing.

Player being given 12 episodes instead of 8 was a hugely successful decision by Ize. I’m almost certain those 4 extra episodes make for an expensive mistake if the show ends up bombing, but she took the risk and it paid off extraordinarily. Episodes 1 - 4 of Player are such a delightful representation of that excessively flirty meet-cute in Thai gl, peppered with all our favourite tropes that make you fall head over heels for the leads. Amena brings a breath of fresh air with her extensive experience - her expressions, her intentions and her unbridled ability for emotionally challenging scenes. In the earlier episodes, I think Memi partially struggled to match these moments - whether that is because Ame is so impressive, or she is quite inexperienced herself, it’s something that I saw dissipate as we got further in.

I think if one thing escapes my criticism in Player it is the chemistry between Ploy and Pun. Pun is not usually a character that I would enjoy, she is far too chirpy and unserious in the beginning for my tastes. But the more time she spends around Ploy and begins the descent into the murky waters of their split, the more we start to see a more matured side of her that wants - or even demands at times - to be taken seriously. I don’t think I need to speak much about the love scenes, they speak for themselves and I will have more to say about it once I get to the director. But what I will say is that every single soft moment of Ploy and Pun is just intoxicating. Ploy’s insatiable hunger for the chase and the mischievous twinkle in Pun’s eye when she knows she’s being chased. It really gives meaning to the “Player” name and we get to see it first hand every time they interact.

From the second half of episode 7 all the way through to 11 we get, in my humble opinion, one of the best examples of angst pacing I have ever seen in a gl series. It is so common for series to push a difficult or challenging storyline in a way that it begins at the end of an episode, continues through the next but ends up resolved by the end of that next episode. It’s a very efficient way of artificially making the time spent feel longer without frustrating the viewer by having to wait weeks on end for a reconciliation. So rarely are we made to sit and stew with our feelings alongside the characters but Player has managed to pull it off masterfully. I’m sure there are people out there who will feel as though it took too long. But for me, taking time to give each character a moment to shine in their pain was phenomenal.

The ending could have been stronger. I’d like to see more domestic storyline’d gl series put a bit more effort into their action scenes if they choose to keep them. I realise budget is always a problem, however I wouldn’t really have minded if the entire New York mafia plotline was dropped in favour of something less all over the place and more focused around the very important conversation that Ploy and Pun needed to have about the status of their relationship and how they so desperately need to learn to trust one another. That being said, it didn’t take that much away from the series as a whole. I sort of knew that I wouldn’t enjoy the ending if they stayed loyal to the book since I did not enjoy it there either.

Just before I finish, I want to take a moment to praise Pannares and her decisions in directing this series. First and foremost, the comedy in Player is something I also did not expect to enjoy the way I did. I was certain that the Angel Pun/Sherlock bit was going to be majorly overused and exhausted, however I think they managed to keep a great balance between when it was used over Pun’s normal inner monologue (which was such a highlight of the series for me) as well as the timing in which it was used. Pannares has such a talent for timing things in places where they won’t feel out of place or shoehorned and I really appreciate that about her directing style. On top of that, her real world knowledge of the queer experience helps shape Ploy and Pun’s love story into something that feels so real and tangible. These are messy characters with real struggles and flaws. The romance and sex scenes feel so incredibly real and intense without feeling gratuitous or male-gaze-y and in this day and age that feels like a long lost art.

All in all it was an incredible series, I think it deserves such high praise, especially for the first series from a smaller studio.

Read More

A slow burn series you never knew would kill you!

The character development is incredible, and the plot keeps up just as well. Ice Amena (Ploy) and Memibae (Pun) brought their characters to life and we know that for a fact cause why else would people be hating on Pun & Ploy so passionately throughout the series. Grace and Ningning (second couple) too delivered beautifully and honestly, they deserve their own series cause HELLO acting!

P’Poy’s directing is delicious (she's the director of Petrichor). Every element on screen feels intentional and purposeful. And if you’ve read the novel, the whys and hows hit even harder but even if you haven’t, the show still serves exactly what it needs to.

Highly recommended. At this point, I’m just sad we only have two episodes left. Ploy and Pun, please… stay. 💔✨

Read More

Smart, Deep, and Addictive: Why Player Is the GL You Should Watch Now

Why am I so obsessed with this show?
1. The ultimate mind game: Two "players" accidentally falling for each other.
The title Player says it all. It’s about two women who are experts at guarding their hearts and playing the field.
Ploy: The elegant, cool, and super-smart "big sister" type who’s built massive walls around herself.
Pun: The clever, bubbly girl who approaches Ploy with a hidden motive, only to accidentally fall into her own trap.
When "faking it" turns into "feeling it," the tension is literally electric. The back-and-forth pull between them is just chef’s kiss.
2. A storytelling game-changer: Dual perspectives tell the whole story.
This is honestly the best part. The director takes us deep into one character's head first, letting us see her struggle... and then the POV flips. You get to see exactly what the other person was thinking at the same time. It reveals all those "hidden" feelings behind their words, and seeing the truth behind their masks is just heartbreakingly good.
3. Logic that actually makes sense: Every look has a reason.
The writing is so tight. There are no dumb misunderstandings just for the sake of drama. Everything that happens feels real and earned.
On Growth: It dives deep into how family and past trauma shape the way we protect ourselves.
On Healing: It’s more than just a romance; it’s about two broken souls learning how to face their scars and heal through love.
4. The acting is next level: From rom-com vibes to raw heartbreak.
Ice and Memi’s chemistry is off the charts.
Ice (Ploy): Her micro-expressions are everything. You can see the story in her eyes—she balances that mature vulnerability so perfectly.
Memi (Pun): For a newcomer, her emotional range is insane. When she cries, you feel it. The heartbreak is so real.
Their chemistry isn't just about the "sweet" moments; it’s in those silent, heavy stares filled with longing.
5. Top-tier production vibes.
The whole show looks like a movie:
The Aesthetics: The lighting and framing are stunning. Every shot is literally wallpaper-worthy.
The Intimacy: The director is a master at capturing tension. The NC (intimacy) scenes are filmed so beautifully—they feel like a natural, intense climax of their emotional journey.
? Final Thoughts:
Player is a total "slow burn that packs a punch." It starts as a playful cat-and-mouse game and ends as a deep, meaningful lesson on life. It shows us that while love can be scary, it’s also the only thing brave enough to heal us.
The full series is out now! If you love smart, mature, and beautifully made dramas, do yourself a favor and start this "irresistible" journey today. ?✨

Read More

A weak plot, cringe-worthy moments, and betrayal... It didn't work for me.

Player managed to be extremely boring even though it was made by a large platform that has the resources to make good series. The couple doesn't have very good chemistry; honestly, for me, it clashes a lot. It seems like the actresses weren't very connected to their roles. I simply couldn't believe in their love, and for that reason, I didn't root for them either. The actress who plays Pun uses a higher-pitched voice to give a childlike tone. In some characters, this works very well, and I even like it, but in her, it felt very strange for some reason. The series has several very cringe-worthy moments, such as every time Pun was in doubt between right and wrong, and then Pun would appear dressed as a little devil and a little angel, advising her... I wanted to abandon the series at those times.

Furthermore, the idea that Ploy betrayed Pun, and then Pun decided to make out with a girl in front of Ploy, was simply the last straw for me... And don't tell me that Ploy didn't betray Pun because she made out with the girl and kissed her, she just didn't have sex. If for you it's only cheating when the person has sex with the other, that's not my problem.

I honestly was rooting for them to break up and for Pun to end up with Bee. The secondary characters are cool, but I think they could have given more depth to their roles, after all, there were 12 episodes of Jay trying to propose to Prang, wasn't there ANYTHING else for them to do in the series?

Read More

It made me laugh, it made me cry... One of the best Thai GL

It's deeper than I expected. It started as a light almost romcom kinda serie. I genuinely laughed and not out of cringe like it sometimes happens with Thai GLs but from a humor. And then it grows into something deep and important. It raised some issues many people actually concerned about. Mother-daughter relationship, shared guilt and pain it causes. Also important topic of self-value and, of course, as usual an enormous COMMUNICATION PROBLEM (but we can see that in almost every Serie and in real life). How pride and insecurity can lead you in the wrong direction and hurt people around you but most importantly that it will definitely hurt you too.
Acting is great. Pun character is chaotic yet cute and Memi did a great job. Ploy character is mysterious and captivating, intriguing. You can see that something is off from the start yet it's almost impossible to put a finger on what exactly. It's called talent. Ice is amazing.
I wanna say that dialogues in some Series are just facepalms. Not in this one though. They are logical and concise.
Love scenes were great, but not gonna lie I kinda expected that 'tool box' from the 1st episode being explored a little hehe 😁
All in all, Player is definitely one of my favourite Thai GLs now. Probably gonna watch it again sometime.

I don't understand why I didn't see clips and ads about it in Social media and therefore almost missed it :(
Player is much much better than Only You, My safe zone, Denied love, Poisonous love in every aspect. But those Series had hella promotion.

Read More

some of the best written thai gl characters

this is less of a review and more of a very long think piece read at ur own discretion lol

honestly, i didn't particularly care for the storyline during the first half of the series. one of the main reasons i kept watching was because of how brilliantly the characters were written. right from the start they felt incredibly real, flawed, and three-dimensional, even when i wasn't fully invested in what was happening around them. but then episodes 7-8 happened and from then through to the end of episode 10 (which i think is the strongest-and my favorite-episode of the series) i was completely hooked and that is easily my favorite stretch of the show. the final two episodes were slightly weaker in comparison, and the mafia plotline completely threw me for a loop ?? lmao, but by that point i was already very emotionally invested in the characters that it didn't take away from how much i ended up loving the series.

what i think the series excels at more than anything else is character writing. these are some of the most believable protagonists i've seen in a thai gl ever. the show never tries to force them into neat categories of "good" or "bad". it allows them to be contradictory, selfish, caring, impulsive, immature, 3 dimensional characters. they make bad decisions, and hurt each other, then they regret those decisions, and continue making mistakes because that's literally what real people do. the biggest strength of the writing is the show understanding and showing you that flawed people are still deserving of love.

the push-and-pull dynamic between pun and ploy works so SO well. from the get go, the relationship is complicated by pun's plan to get close to ploy because of her brother, (something we later learn ploy already knew about, which adds even more layers to the conversation), but there's a much more interesting emotional layer underneath that, ploy. she completely shuts down the moment she senses abandonment, betrayal, or emotional pain. she refuses to communicate, lashes out, she is avoidant and becomes intentionally hurtful, she hides behind an emotionally cold exterior. the series makes it clear that it stems directly from the way she was raised. i loved that they allowed her upbringing to have lasting consequences on the way she navigates relationships and how that seeps into her every day life, they don't treat childhood trauma as something people just "get over."

and then, pun. her characterization might be truly one of the most realistic i've seen in a thai gl. almost everything she does is so so believable to me, down to the smallest details and quirks. her artistic side especially resonated with me specifically. the fact that she writes down her thoughts, folds them into little paper butterflies, and creates an entire butterfly wall out of them is such a beautiful piece of characterization!! small stuff like that to tell you what kind of character and person she is. i think her choices throughout the series are so incredibly grounded and realistic as well (count how many times i use the word realistic or real lol). sometimes she acts selfishly, (ex. using ploy to get closer to her brother, using bee, and kissing her just to make ploy jealous.) other times she makes impulsive decisions without thinking (and still the series does not reduce her to a dumb character whatsoever!), or keeps very important things to herself, like refusing to tell her family about the money she lost because she's worried, because she doesn't want to disappoint them, especially when she constantly compares herself to prang in her parents' eyes. i don't view her as a bad person because of these choices, but i dont think they automatically make her a 100% good "pure" character either, i loved that!!! that's good!!!! the series consistently refuses to moralize ALL of its characters (but esp pun and ploy), you are forced to sit with the choices they make and the consequences of them and you are forced to think about them and spend time trying to understand.

THIS!! is how you write toxicity🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭. both pun and ploy are deeply flawed, but the narrative refuses to romanticize or excuses the ways they hurt each other. their actions have consequences, they're forced to confront those consequences, and their character development feels gradual and earned. so many thai gls are guilty of introducing conflict simply for the sake of creating angst before resolving everything an episode later with a quick apology or confession. this series does not fall into this pattern. i think every conflict pushes the characters forward, and every reconciliation feels like something they have to work for.

despite dealing with heavier emotional themes, the series also has an incredibly fun personality. i loved how quirky and unique so much of its execution was, esp in the 1st half. the "angel" persona on pun's shoulder that's actually the devil in disguise (literally lmao) , alongside the pun-in-a-mustace man / sherlock persona (?) that acts as the sensible voice of reason, were such funny additions that made her internal conflicts much more entertaining to watch.

im not one to be thrilled for romcoms usually, but i need to admit that the series does comedy so, very well. at the same time, i think the show is at its absolute best during its quieter, and more vulnerable scenes where the writing and performances shine the brightest, and where i find myself able to emphasize most with the characters and join in on this vulnerable space that the actresses manage to create.

another small aspect that i think is worth mentioning is the friend group. it felt like an ACTUAL group of queer friends living their lives. it's such a small thing, but it made the world feel so much more lived in. one other creative decision i absolutely loved was episode 10's choice to never actually show pun in the present. we only experience her presence through a video, or flashbacks and memories other characters have of her after she's disappeared to the other side of the world. very deliberate choice to heighten the emptiness her absence leaves behind, and i 100% think that episode wouldn't have hit the same if the audience had been able to see her normally.

i legitimately stood up and started clapping when pun chose new york despite ploy still being in thailand. i loved that the writers allowed her to choose herself. new york is her dream. it is one more reminder on top of tens of others the writers sprinkle throughout the story that these women are individuals before they're partners. they have their own ambitions, identities, and agency outside of each other. media so often strips female protagonists of that agency by having them sacrifice their dreams, careers, or education ect.. for love because everything magically works itself out in the finale. the series doesn't exactly do that. it frames pun as her own person first and foremost, and i was seriously glad to see that thank you player

one could argue though that ploy leaving thailand is maybe in itself a sacrifice , but i also think the series addresses that through their conversation where she admits that acting was never truly her dream, pun was, she made a deliberate choice that her character does not suffer from or 'lose' something from.
regardless, it is a deliberate writing choice that feels like a breath of fresh air.

pacing is another thing i thought the series handled exceptionally well. i might have mentioned above how the show took their time with conflict resolution. i also just found the story itself coherent. outside of the mafia subplot, which felt almost completely disconnected tonally 💀, i don't think i found myself questioning the internal logic of the narrative and i dont think there were any plot holes that were left unresolved. i also have to mention the supporting cast because i seriously enjoyed jay and prang just as much as pun and ploy, and at certain times even more than them. they work beautifully as a couple, but they're compelling as individuals too, especially prang.

to further highlight just how strong i think the character writing is, ying's character has what i think is like less than thirty minutes of total screentime (if even) and STILL comes across as a fully realized interesting person. the same can be said for most of the other minor supporting characters. that is something i find a lot of thai gls struggle with, with their side characters usually ending up feeling very flat, but this is absolutely not the case here. and this to me is another testament to just how much care went into the writing.

one of the very first things that caught my attention, and something that continued to impress me throughout the entire series, was the cinematography, post-production and overall editing style. the framing is i think unlike anything i've seen in a thai gl before (ik i still have a lot to watch ok). the camera lens choices, the barrel distortion, chromatic aberration, vignetting, color grading, and lighting all come together to create a really distinct visual identity for both parts of the show. and past episode 7 (i think?), the series undergoes a very deliberate shift in its color grading that mirrors the emotional shift in the story.

i also really appreciated that the soundtrack wasn't just the same ost playing over and over again. the sound design is some of the strongest i've heard in a thai gl i think?, i dont think i can remember even a single moment where the audio felt awkward or poorly mixed

i think my criticisms are fairly straightforward? the abusive parent redemption arc strikes again... we're tired......... i'm always put off when stories decide to go in that direction. the mafia plotline was actually so random that i'm choosing not to even unpack it because... what the f*ck was that?

while some of the romantic dialogue felt a little clunky during the earlier episodes, that completely disappeared for me in the second half. the 2nd half honestly feels like a completely different series. i absolutely LOVED how the tone gradually shifted from something quirky and fun and very classically romcom-y into this much heavier, angsty and emotional almost melodrama. that's also where i think the actresses really shine. icememi are fantastic in the quieter, and more emotionally demanding scenes. that’s also where the acting feels most natural i think. the acting was absolutely phenomenal all throughout the second half and the slight doubt i had completely vanished.

overall! i can very obviously tell just how much love, care and hardwork was poured into this series. i can only hope more writers and directors look at shows like player for inspiration because this is the kind of character writing i want to see more of!!

Read More

A Hidden Gem of Thai GLs

This show was actually so good? Thank you to all the reviews that were real with it and gave it the amazing praise it deserved. I wouldn’t have even considered watching this show without those reviews and then I would have missed out on such amazing content. I don’t know why this isn’t rated higher. It feels like it beats out all the other Thai GLs I’ve seen previously.

I think I would have liked to see Ploy chase Pun a little bit harder towards the end of the show. And I honestly didn’t really like Pun’s voice being so high and squeaky like that. HOWEVER the story, the acting, the chemistry between the two characters was on point.

I think there probably should have been a bit more accountability held for the two characters hurting each other like that. But overall a really well rounded show.

Read More

Tried to do somethig but fell off

First of all, the concept of the series is completely crazy: dating your ex’s sister in order to get back the money they scammed from you—there’s no way that can end well.

The series really takes its time to get started, but by watching it week after week, you eventually grow attached quite easily.

In my opinion, Ploy and Pun should not be endgame. Yes, there is tension and chemistry between them, but their relationship is extremely toxic, even though it is very well acted. Honestly, the argument scenes are especially well done.

The second couple, on the other hand, is so much fun to watch. They give you a chance to breathe compared to the main couple—a more mature and respectful relationship.

One thing I really appreciated is that Pun and Ploy actually have a support system. I swear, when you watch a lot of GL series, most of them don’t, and I would really love to see this more often.

Overall, I like the series, even though I had a hard time getting hooked or becoming as obsessed with it as with others—and that’s okay.

Read More