Payback

Adaptation that lived up to expectations

An adaptation that is made right, it exceed my expectations, especially the 2nd half of serie, it leveled up the drama, minlee as sun was perfect casting, incredible performance, his micro expressions were enough to tell us whats his character feeling, toptap Did so wall as jay, i have only praises, shogun, fuaiz, jirapat and alm cast delivered an incredible performance, the chemistry was on point, storytelling, character development, sun's journey toward revenge or more correctly, toward healing was entertaining to follow, i had so Many emotions watching his character, the dark side of story was as shocking and disturbing and it intended to be, revenge was delicious, i had my fun watching the downfall of all them evils, the ost and directing was great, i loved ending, it was well rounded serie

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My Favorite Manhwa Adaptation Ever

For me, this was a really great adaptation of a manhwa. It not only adapted the manhwa pretty accurately, but also improved upon it by giving more depth and personality to the other characters, making them more rounded and human.

PROS

1. I think this drama wasn't afraid to really show the dark and gritty aspects of the entertainment industry. Some people might say that it's graphic, but to me, it's completely realistic.

2. Fantastic Acting - Both the main leads' acting was absolutely fabulous. Min (as Sun) managed to convey so much emotion in his eyes despite his stoic role. It's very, very impressive considering this is his first main role. His performance stole the drama for me. Toptap (as Jay) managed to put up an equally good performance in his role. Honestly, it just felt refreshing to see a show where both main leads match each other's performance level. Other than the main leads, the other cast (Shogun, Fuaiz, Khunnote, Claude, Gandhi, Pakin, etc) put up a great performance as well.

3. As said earlier, this drama managed to improve upon the manhwa. Characters like Pakin and Sky were kind of one-note and bland in the manhwa. This drama managed to take those characters and give them a backstory. I didn't care too much for those characters in the manhwa. I was neutral, but this drama managed to make me like them so much and made me want to see them as the second couple.

4. Plot- The pacing and the plot were quite engaging to watch. There was 0 moments where I felt bored. The story managed to create a great balance of romance and main plot, which made this an entertaining drama.

5. Chemistry/Romance - The chemistry between the main leads was fantastic. The romance, the bickering, and the intensity between them were quite enjoyable. Some might feel iffy about the romance with some of the dub-con scenes. I was able to look past it because I could see Sun reciprocating Jay's feelings to some extent. It really depends on what you as an audience can tolerate watching.

6. Character Development - It was quite lovely to see Sun go from this traumatized, guilt-ridden, and closed-off individual to someone who was able to find family, love, and meaning in life. The same goes for the Sky, who shows beautiful character growth as well. Tbh, you can’t help but root for all of the good characters (main and sides).

CONS

I think the only con for me would be that I wished certain villains had suffered a bit more, but this does not bother me enough to affect my score of this drama.



If you like grittier shows, then this would be a great show to try out. Do keep in mind that there’s some graphic stuff and trigger warnings, so if you’re someone who gets affected by dark stuff easily, I strongly suggest looking up the trigger warnings before watching this drama. For me, this drama is a great leap for adaptations and is a definite 10/10. Also, I do recommend giving the OST a try because it's an absolute banger of a song!

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Strong from episode 1 and all the way through

Honestly one of the best series' i've seen, not just as a BL but as a standalone series, it's strong from start to finish. There are some truly dark scenes, with a brilliant revenge plot that is sustained through the series, but thats not all this series is! Watching the character growth of everyone is amazing, they are all phenomenal actors with fantastic chemistry, and you really get to understand each of them, why they are how they are, and you get to see this explored. Really impressive in a 10 episode show.
Without any spoilers, i can just say, watch this if you like dark stories, but where there are light hearted moments, deep personal connections, and a good dose of hurt/comfort (although i'm a sucker for hurt/comfort so as always there could always have been more of this for me :D)

I have already rewatched this as the weeks have gone on, and a lot of people will rave about NC scenes, they are so brilliant, but there are so many scenes that stand out, outside of NC, so many moments that just punch you in the gut. I've never wanted to reach through the screen and give a character a hug so badly as with this drama.

Watch it!

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It's good but a lot of things are different from the manhwa

I came here cz I've read and loved payback manhwa. During the initial episodes i felt they were pretty much in line with the manhwa but later they did divert a bit which did land a little off at some places hence the 9.5

Like they do show the car scene where sunny buys the same one as his competitors but they didn't show him selling it. That for me was one of the important scenes. Also sunny's downfall happens wayy before his sponsor and before sun gets hurt that's the reason he accepts death cz he is done with his revenge. That's also the reason his family's soul talks about him being done with his revenge but here sunny's fall comes after so that kinda lands off.

Sunny and Phakin were 2 characters they changed a lot compared to the manhwa. They also turned Jay into a green flag🤣🤣🤣 yellow at worst.

But yeah I liked it. It's a good watch. A really good one. Not the exact copy of the original but does justice to the story

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I reallyhave to say that the acting is so so good. Non of them made me weird or cringe. And the story is good , actually its a novel based but without a proper direction this can't be this good. I actually felt emotional with sun during his emotional moments. In the 8th episode when he act for the suicide scene its actually felt real like the smile at end before jump its soo good. And the tension and chemistry between jay and sun is perfect. Its a perfect mix of revenge and romance non exceed another. Most of bl concentrate on romance but this has the right amount of everything. Good work guys.... this may be my second favorite after kinnporch if i have to say.
Anyway i hope for a perfect ending of this series....

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Tragic, Beautifully Poignant, Yet Absolutely Riveting.

This drama is a complete surprise and shock for me. And it is definitely one of the best dramas I've watched to date. (And it is not solely limited to Thai LGBTQ+ dramas either.)

I remember watching the trailer, which to me simply looked like a montage of images as I had no knowledge about the original story and began this completely on a whim. Payback is something to be experienced from start till the end. It's cruel and equally comforting at the same time. Cruel in the sense that it makes you ponder a lot. Deeply emotional as it depicts both grief, romance and acts of transgression.

The outstanding and riveting performances by the cast, the script and the direction further prove my point. There is not a single actor who doesn't leave an impression. Particularly the actors for Sun, Jay, Sunny, Sky and Kajorn and the villain. Everyone gave truly memorable performances which I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Starting right off the bat, the first episode begins with an audition where a man named Sun aggressively uses his balisong after he fails to impress the judges. A flashback sheds more light on his character--- Sun had previously been an illegal debt collector who had terrorized and traumatised many. When fate strikes back in the worst way, snatching everything that he held dear, time comes to a standstill.
But, revenge springs alive when he overhears that his ex-boyfriend who was now a rising star, had played an integral role in shattering Sun's life. He joins Dream Entertainment with this sole purpose of outsmarting Bank.

Sun, played by Minlee, is a tragic character. I have to appreciate the actor because he manages to bring the dead character to life. Sun is literally dead on screen - he has a single facial expression throughout the first episodes. The one scene that captivated me is where a photographer, Pakin, forcefully triggers an emotional response purely through his eyes.

Sun's innocent and hardworking manager, Kajorn and another actor under him, Sky somehow become a newfound family for the lonely boy. It's evident that his life as a past criminal and the tragedy that followed had made him a shell of who he truly is supposed to be.

But, the question stands. Tragedy would have hit Sun, regardless of whether his ex-boyfriend played a role in his downfall. His lawless and unempathetic actions were the ones which ultimately led to the situation he was in. So, what was the point in taking revenge against Sunny?
The character of Sunny is portrayed as a remorseless sycophant, so I think that he does deserve a lesson.

But, where the series took its hold on me is that the same question kept lingering in Sun's mind too.
When Sun encounters Jay, a powerful man of Dream Entertainment, he is forced to face the ugly truths about his life.
Jay is by far, one of the most dominating characters I've seen onscreen. Hats-off to Toptap because Director Arthur is someone enigmatic, perspicacious and an absolute scene stealer. He exudes confidence, grace and poise onscreen.

While Jay serves as an anchor although a rather harsh one, who often crosses limits and attempts to utilise Sun's skills and simultaneously tether him back to life, the deeply ingrained guilt and grief never fades away.
Sun's 'revenge' persists till the end, but the story is more than just payback.

It was beautiful, seeing someone who once loathed himself and lost all purpose in life rediscover his identity.

Stepping away from the emotional aspects, the story does manage to imbue a sense of humour. Even in unexpected places. Starting with Kajorn and Uncle Sia, who is the first one to truly make Sun smile.

The lovelorn Jay's attempts to woo Sun through his coercive methods was definitely one of the interesting parts of his life, aside from Kajorn and Sky.
(And an interesting part for me, the viewer as well. Their interactions on certain rooftops, particularly Alice's Labyrinth, were the ones I looked forward to every week.)

Even the menace-like Pakin, behind his stabbing words, hid someone wise.
The story is peppered with incidents that serve as the impetus for Sun to make certain choices.

Setting aside how well written the story was (from my point of view, as I have no knowledge about the novel or the manhwa adaptation), the soundtrack was beautiful.
I admit, I felt like a fool after discovering that a certain song used in EP7 wasn't a real song, because it sounded absolutely magical to me and I spent hours searching for it.

I found the last episode satisfying. Even though it had a few speed bumps, it managed to avoid any major trenches and brought the whole story to a complete denouement for almost every single character. Except for the villains. (The speed bumps that I mentioned fall into this category.)
One small piece of conversation between two characters hammer the final point in. Because ultimately, thriving against all odds is much more difficult and something you have to be greatful for. I don't know why, but it struck a cord in me. The series answered all my questions and left no loose threads.

Payback is definitely not for everyone. But, I for one, am glad that I stumbled upon this little gem and discovered Sun and his family. A solid 9.5/10 from me.

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Emotionally grounded. Entertaining yet heartbreaking ride.

I love this drama so much. Sun and the flashbacks were the heart of this show. I thought that they tied the past and the present so well. They left a little bit for mystery for people that didn't read the comics, like me, and we were able to piece things together. And I thought it played out so wonderfully. Sun's character was truly Godsent. His character reminds me so much of Sieun from Weak Hero. And I adore angsty bottom main characters. I thought that the story handled and explored topics of loneliness, loss, grief, and suicidal ideation so well. It continuously surprises you and lets you connect deeply through Sun's story.

I love the message of found family and even the aftermath, after all the revenge. It's not always sunshine and rainbows, but there are blessings. I'm surprised with Jay's character as well. He aggravated me so much in the beginning, simply because I didn't understand what stake he had in messing with Sun so much (like thats baby). But everything gets re-revealed and it makes you think back to previous episodes on why certain characters act a certain way. It was a super enjoyable watch and really well written, and I believe does the original comic justice from what I hear from fans. The only thing I was a little bit iffy on was Jay's casting. He didn't really seem attractive to me personally and with his behavior I was loving hating on him on my screen lol. But I think throughout the role, Toptap did his best job making me fall in love with his character and his portrayal of the character in relation to why Sun needs him emotionally. So I think it was mostly a slow burn, although I still have some concerns whether or not he was best fit for the role.

But of course, I'm not in charge of casting. MinLee, on the other hand, was PERFECT and truly Godsent for this role. The way he expresses emotions through his eyes (SOO sieun coded) and the way that you feel the heaviness with the little that he speaks, but the most that he's experienced. A truly wonderful actor and a wonderful character that I love so much.

My biggest concern was that they might have done some sort of redemption arc or certain things would play out to where characters would be let free or forgiven or excused. And I can just say that I am very pleased with the ending. Yet, I want so much more from jaysun, and I love their slightly toxic dynamic. I love toxic things in general, but I love how serious and personal Jay got with the heavy emotions that impacted Sun. And honestly, I think they were treated very well and written pretty decently compared to many other BLs, if that's a concern for you. It might be triggering, to say the least, but if you skip some scenes, I think it would be very enjoyable, especially with how much "payback" is in it for the viewer.

All to say I love Sun and love this fun emotional wild ride he took us on and I am pleased with the ending a show, but I NEED MOREEEEE OF HIMM, god i love angst while it lasts. AHHH SUN IMMA MISS U AND UR ANGSTY BOTTOM ASS SO MUCHHHH

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No plot

This is one of the worst series i wasted my time on the story is so bad I would say this whole thing is just por.n at the point no plot at all waisted the couple potential people are just thearsty over any gay show
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