Payback

Overall, I really liked this drama. I honestly didn't expect to get THIS attached to it ?

The acting was amazing. Min Thanakorn and Toptap Jarukit were both incredible, and their chemistry was one of my favorite things about the entire series. Their relationship felt intense, complicated and believable, and I could genuinely feel the tension between Sun and Jay in so many scenes.

I also really enjoyed the revenge storyline. I liked that the drama wasn't just focused on the romance, but actually gave us a whole story involving revenge, betrayal, the entertainment industry and characters with their own motivations. There were so many moments where I was completely invested and just needed to know what would happen next.

The characters were another strong point for me. Sun's journey was especially interesting to watch, and I loved seeing how much he changed throughout the story. Jay was also such an interesting character because of how calm and calculating he could be, while still having so much going on underneath.

And THE CHEMISTRY. 😭 Seriously. The tension between Sun and Jay was insane. Their scenes together were easily some of my favorite parts of the drama.

The pacing wasn't perfect and there were definitely some things I wish had been explored a little more, but honestly, those things didn't take away from how much I enjoyed watching it.

The production, cinematography and overall atmosphere were also really good. Everything fit the darker revenge storyline really well.

Overall, Payback was one of my favorite Thai BLs I've watched this year. It had a great revenge plot, amazing acting, insane chemistry and characters I actually cared about. I definitely recommend it if you like darker BLs with revenge, drama, complicated relationships and a lot of tension.

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When I say I want a toxic BL, this is exactly what I mean.

Not because I want abuse romanticised. Not because I think love should hurt. But because I'm interested in stories where damaged people collide, where morality isn't clean, and where everyone is forced to confront the consequences of who they've become.

Payback begins with exactly that promise.

Sun isn't an innocent protagonist caught in someone else's game. Before tragedy ever enters his life, he works as a debt collector for a loan shark, threatening desperate families for money. He already belongs to a brutal world where survival comes at someone else's expense. Then everything collapses. A debtor, pushed beyond his breaking point, kills Sun's younger brother in front of him. His mother dies soon afterwards. His boyfriend Bank disappears with all of his money.

For five years, he simply survives out of habit.

What makes him such a compelling protagonist is that he genuinely believes this is his punishment. If he hadn't chosen that life, his brother would still be alive. His guilt becomes the thing that keeps him moving, and Min Thanakorn plays that emotional numbness beautifully. Sun rarely allows himself to grieve because, deep down, he doesn't think he deserves to.

Years later, while working as a delivery driver, Sun accidentally overhears Bank — now living under the name Sunny as one of Thailand's biggest stars — casually admitting his own involvement in the events that led to Sky's death. Until then, Sun believed Bank had betrayed him and stolen his money. Suddenly he realises something far worse: Sunny didn't simply abandon him. He played a direct role in destroying his family.

That's the moment revenge is born.

Sun's revenge is deeply personal. He wants Sunny to lose everything the same way he did. Jay's revenge, however, is something entirely different. He wants to expose and destroy the corrupt system behind Dream Entertainment, a system built on exploitation, coercion and the abuse of power.

And unfortunately, this is where I think the series slowly loses the thread it had woven so carefully.

I kept waiting for the moment where Sun's personal revenge would naturally evolve into Jay's larger fight. Not because Sun suddenly stops caring about Sunny, but because he slowly begins to understand that Sunny isn't the beginning of this story. He's another product of the same machine.

Ironically, the ending already hints at exactly that version of the story.

I just wish the journey had taken us there more deliberately.

Personally, I would've loved to watch Sun dismantle Sunny's life piece by piece throughout the series. Not through violence, but through carefully calculated moves. Destroying his reputation. His public image. His career. Slowly forcing Sunny into a position where he'd finally have to confront the consequences of his own choices.

And then... give Sunny one episode. One chance to tell his side of the story.

Not because he deserves redemption.

Because he deserves perspective.

Payback begins by asking us to empathise with someone who carries enormous responsibility for the tragedy that destroyed his own life. I wanted that same complexity extended to Sunny. Not to forgive him, but to understand him.

Because I think that's where Sun's character arc truly wanted to go.

Not towards revenge.

Towards self-forgiveness.

The most powerful version of this story isn't one where Sun wins. It's one where he realises that revenge was never really about Sunny. It was a tool that kept him going, a reason to stay alive when he otherwise had no idea what he was still living for.

And perhaps that's why I wanted one more confrontation between Sun and Sunny. Something that forces Sun to hear the other side of what happened. Because Sunny did something terrible. But Sun also has to confront the fact that his own choices helped create the chain of events that led to his brother's death. None of that absolves Sunny. But it could have forced Sun to understand that he can't spend the rest of his life looking for one person to carry all of his guilt.

The series gestures toward this idea, particularly during Sun's psychological collapse and the devastating scene where he performs a suicide attempt for the camera, only to realise that despite everything, he doesn't actually want to die.

It's one of the strongest scenes in the entire show.

The same can be said for the corruption storyline.

The entertainment industry isn't simply used as a dramatic backdrop. The "Backer" system — powerful executives exploiting actors in exchange for career advancement — is presented as something deeply rotten, and the series deserves credit for refusing to make that corruption feel incidental. Payback deserves credit for refusing to sanitise that reality.

Jay is perhaps the character I'm most conflicted about.

His chemistry with Sun is undeniable. I genuinely enjoyed watching two people who both understand they're using each other while slowly becoming unable to pretend that's all they're doing. But I also found Jay frustrating. The rabbit reveal — discovering that Sun was the mysterious man from five years earlier — should have fundamentally transformed Jay's motivations. Instead, it mostly plays like another layer of romantic destiny. I wanted that revelation to matter more.

Because Jay doesn't just discover that he once slept with Sun.

He discovers that he has finally found the person he's been looking for all this time.

And that should change something.

I wanted to see Jay protect Sun without a deal attached. Without Sun owing him anything. Not because Sun is useful to him, but because, for once, Jay has found something he doesn't want to lose.

That would have made their relationship feel so much more significant to me.

In the end, Payback isn't a failed revenge story.

It's a revenge story that already contains the emotional journey I wanted to watch — it just never fully connects all the threads.

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Everything is peak in this series—the acting, chemistry, bonds, and revenge!

I haven't read the manhwa yet, but based on what I've experienced, I claim that this show is a truly excellent, top-tier adaptation. They went through each panel to ensure a credible effort, giving the story the fame it deserves.

I admit the first two episodes felt a bit messy and unorganized in a few frames—specifically how they chose to show Sun's past—but that didn't stop me from watching further. The storyline wasn’t overly complex, and it was portrayed in a strong light, highlighting each character beautifully as the episodes progressed.

I have to thank this series for introducing so many gems. Minlee is such a versatile actor; I couldn't believe this is his first main series! The same goes for the rest of the cast. Toptap startlingly managed to appear older than his actual age, giving his character the rank it deserved. And Shogun and Khunnote—oh my god, they are so, so lovely.

This series really made me pause and think: Is revenge truly necessary? Does karma exist? Both of these concepts could have easily been rendered in a clichéd or unfavourable way if not for the production's careful execution and its gentle, raw representation of life's toxicity and bad people.

I adored Sky and Kajorn for being the ones who welcomed Sun regardless of his revenge-driven mindset. They were soft, concerned, and open to being a family in the most profound way—a warmth Sun himself didn't believe he deserved. On that same note, the series hit me with the harsh reality that a person can be utterly broken, a failure in life, constantly falling, and desperately trying to find ways to get up and hold on. Yet, good things still might not happen. Life isn't like a feel-good movie filled with rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes, making our loved ones smile is hard or even impossible. Perhaps it is we who spoil and break everything while trying to make things work out—and that's just life.

Seeing Sun's life before and after his quest for revenge made me exhale, reflecting on these exact harsh concepts that most of us grow through. His own boyfriend, Sunny, lied to and betrayed him. The deaths of his mother and brother—which he might have contributed to and Sunny's meddling—ate him alive, and probably still do. He has been working nonstop just to stay busy and find a place in life, trapped in a stage of grief where he forgot how to feel a thing. Man!

I couldn't feel more seen, and I can't get enough of how beautifully Sun expresses the torture of feeling absolutely nothing:
"Just because I'm not dead yet means I have to live my life. Whether the goal in life or the meaning of life, I never had it. I've never understood the joy that other people experience. I don't understand why people can smile and be happy. It makes me question myself. Do I need to keep living just because I'm still breathing? Living without being able to feel anything is a deadly torture. That means suffering like this is the price I have to pay to keep me alive. I think there are only people who want to live who need a reason to be alive. Even if you suffer, try to look for something around you that makes you smile, and be thankful for it. If it's someone who can feel love even for just a little, then you have the right to have the reason to be alive. People whose hearts are not dead yet deserve to live on."

I also enjoyed seeing Boss play Pakin. Damn, he sure aces his roles! I don't think I am the only one who shipped Sky and Pakin; there is a one hundred percent possibility of this ship. Even though there doesn't have to be a love interest just because there is immense chemistry, I really vibed with that humour.

I have to talk more about Kajorn. He is THE manager! He's freaking adorable, funny, quirky, and at times so wonderfully awkward and dumb—just like me (crying). He is easily the most awesome character in the series. The care and effort he provides for his actors, the love he has for Sun and Sky, and the justice he seeks make him the sole good entity in that insane company. *hands up in admiration

OH, also—Jo (Jay's uncle)! He is a freaky man! He is cool in the sassiest way possible—like, girl! His aura and personality are unmatched; I really needed him in this series. Now I want him to have his own comedy spinoff. And what do you mean he's also in the Broken of Love series? I'm guessing he's that bad bodyguard who trained Arisa (Faye). What a versatility! What a versatility!
Likewise, I had so much fun watching Jay's mother's bodyguard. Why is everyone in this show so freaky?

The series poured so much potential and effort into its storyline. I was initially a little scared of how the final episode would handle the ultimate revenge plot; however, given Jay's remarkably high intelligence. There was so much tension, but thankfully, it completely lived up to it.

The brilliance of contrasting philosophies on revenge was illustrated admirably:
"If it's the price of getting revenge, then nothing is too expensive for me." — Jay
"Once I survived all that, I realized that revenge no longer matters to me anymore. Not as important as being alive, anyway." — Two-O

It wrapped things up so successfully that I have no complaints. I am content to see Sky healing from his camera fright, and Sun finally getting job offers (the manager is so happy, aww!). Finally, FINALLY, Sun is open with his emotions, and he and Jay are together. XD

P.S. Pawinee, Jay's mother, is so damn beautiful.

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I talk too much about Sunny, sorry!

Trigger warnings for rape, SA, nudity, alcohol & drug abuse, violence, bullying, death, murder, & self-harm

I may have missed some triggers, but I think I got the most important ones.

I have not read the manhwa, but I plan to when I have the time.

I was super excited about this series from the moment the trailer dropped. Going into this series, I was the most excited I've ever been to watch something outside of a Spider-Man or Harry Potter movie in theaters. I went into this series expecting to give it at least a 9/10, but I quickly came to realize that that wasn't going to happen. I still love and enjoyed the series, but it wasn't without its problems.

My first problem was with the OST. It was really good, but for the first 3 episodes it would randomly blow my eardrums out with loud violins or piano and completely overpower the characters specking. Thankfully, it didn't happen again after episode 3, but the fact that it happened at all was annoying & honestly painful since I have sensitive hearing. So while the OST was one of my favorite things about the series, it also started as the thing I hated most.

The acting was really good; I have no complaints. I think Shogun did a great job with the panic attacks. (I've had many panic attacks, so I like to point out if I think a person has done a good job or not.)

The Chemistry between all the actors was great, especially our main leads. Toptap and Min had really good kisses, and the NC scenes are like something I've never watched before. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not because I still feel a little traumatized by how real they looked and felt. I normally clock out a bit during NC scenes because I'm honestly more interested in the kissing and cute/sweet moments (especially cuddles), but there was no clocking out for me in these scenes. My eyes were glued to the screen in disbelief and fascination. (Honestly, I'm the girl who was standing beside them in the bus scene.) I'm also a big fan of size differences~

The pacing of this series was really good, but the ending felt very rushed compared to the rest of the series. This is one of the Thai series that should have been longer. Again, I didn't read the manhwa, but I feel like they could have easily made this series 12-14 episodes long. It felt like a lot was missing that could have been shown to us. For example, how Jay's mother died, everything Sunny was going through after the deaths of his backers, what drove him to go to a loan shark, and whether he faced public repercussions that made him unable to work in entertainment; for some reason, I also felt like we missed some things in Jay & Sun's relationship. These things may not have been in the Manhwa, but I felt we should have seen a bit more of them.

The way the old men were handled also felt incredibly rushed. The pervert with the pacemaker death was fine for the most part, but I would like to know what video was sent to the police since Two-O never got to send the one to Sun. (Who was that boy, by the way? I thought it was Wave, but it wasn't, and we don't get a name. He deserves that at least after being killed by Sunny.) Is the one who shot the other old man the boy who was signed onto Dream by Jay's mother & then raped by the pervert? If he is, I feel like that flashback would have worked better in this moment instead of where we got it. Everything happened all at once with no buildup that would make you think things are going to end with murder. And as I said above, I would have liked to see more of Sunny during the events at the end. He was such an important person to our main character, but he felt brushed over even before Jay started things with Sun.

The whole show was building up to these 3 being taken down after all the lies, manipulation, and vile things they've done, only for it all to come to a head and conclude in like 15 minutes. It truly leaves you feeling dissatisfied, and the writing is very lazy.

Since I'm on characters, I've heard a lot of people say that Jay was toned down in this series, and if that's the case, I really wish they wouldn't have. He's a red flag, and if you're going to do a red flag character, you should take it as far as the work you are adapting did. Also, Jay wasn't as big a part of the show as I thought he would be. He wasn't really there for a good majority of the show, and when he was, it was just in small bursts. It's just weird that it felt like the supporting cast got more screen time than one of our leads. This made it hard to know anything about this man other than that he wants revenge and is obsessed with Sun. If Toptap and Min's chemistry weren't so good, this show would have been a major flop because Jay's lack of screen time makes it impossible to make this relationship believable. I believe they are sexually attracted to each other and compatible, but nowhere near love.

Sun, red flag or not, was a doll, and I want one for myself. He's so serious and awkward. The only annoying thing was when people said he looked 'ordinary' when he was downright adorable. I loved Sia Jo & Kajorn; Sun is definitely going to make them go prematurely gray. They were the comic relief that we didn't need, but I'm glad we had them. Besides the panic attacks, I don't really have many feelings about Sky. He was there, he was helpful, & he was traumatized. I also thought they were going to pair him with Boat's character at one point, & I'm still not sure if I'm disappointed that they didn't. Two-O wasn't a very present character, but they did a good job of making me worry about him.

Sunny. I wanted more of Sunny. To me, this man was more of a red flag than Jay, but with zero power to back it up. He pulls so much shit in the past & the present, and I didn't see enough. Sun was living a normal, albeit emotionless, life when he learned the role Sunny played in his brother's death, but the most we get from Sunny himself is just words. Most of them bragging. I wanted to see if there was any mental struggle in the decisions he made. If he ever once hesitated (sans murder) in the things that he did or had others do. He is the second most irredeemable character in the whole show and is Sun's target, yet he felt one-dimensional. After everything he has done, I didn't expect him to change; I just wanted to see some kind of internal struggle. Even if it was only for a moment.

I feel like I did nothing but complain about the series, but I really did enjoy it; I just felt like it was wasted potential. If they had made the series longer and given the characters, mostly Jay & Sunny, more depth, it could have been much better.

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First series, then manhwa

TBH I'm quite mad at myself because I read manhwa first and I didn't enjoy the series that much like people who didn't read manhwa. There were many similar things, but change in cause of death of Jay's mother and change in Dream management pissed me the most. I think it complicated things too much and differs too much from the orginal. I think manhwa has definitely more depth than series, so I recommend to read it after watching if you don't wanna to be pissed like I am 😂 Im not that much dissapointed but I really hoped that it would stay loyal to the original.
i must say I like, that in series, they showed Sky more, and showed us the reason behind his fear of cameras. I hoped that Jay would be more wacko like he was in the manhwa, but i like him in the series, good casting really.

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Did you cry at all?

Hello, hello, hello, how are we doing today? I know I am doing well, trying to write reviews for shows instead of waiting till December and writing all of them, so let's go. I would give this show an 8.5 (8.6) out of 10, and I have a lot of feelings about it, with most of them being negative, so get ready. I am going to say what I liked, what I didn't like, do an episode review, and then put this bitch in the dirt.

Okay, I do go on to dog on the plot later, but the idea was lowkey fire. His mom and brother get dropped within a couple of months of each other, and it's lowkey his ex's fault, and he only finds that out years later. Like I love that. Personally, I would have skinned this bitch alive and set him on fire and then thrown him in the river next to the Platinum Mall and then brought him back up and shat on him, but you know, like becoming an actor to get revenge on him works too. Love that, great setup, I just wish the execution was a little bit better (a lot bit better, but I will talk about that later). ALSO SUNNY STEALING HIS WHOLE BRAND WAS FIREEEEEEEE.

Another thing I liked, and I am going to put these in the same category, was acting and chemistry. Just a fantastic job from Min and Toptap (insert that Brazilian dance here, because they got me doing it now), and our great acting and chemistry actually brought this show to life really well, so good for them. I am going to address the elephant in the room that is their porno sex scene, even though it did need better buildup in terms of their relationship; IT WAS FUCKING GREAT JOB GUYS. MAYBE TOO GREAT OF A JOB BECAUSE MY FRIEND AND I WERE ACTUALLY GAGGED. NO, but I am truly impressed with them for that; that was really well done, and their good acting really shined through for that, so yeah. I really hope to see them together in one more project or at least separate things, because they did phenomenally in this.

I am going to write the things that I disliked first (even though it shows up second, just know I wrote it first lmao). Starting off STRONG, the romance building and plot of this show. I feel like these can be two separate categories, but I am going to smack them under one. I feel like I put this in every single one of my reviews with shows like these: oh, if they have a good plot, then their romance building is terrible, and vice versa. Well, bad news: both of them suck in this. Okay, so the plot of the show is very to the point and really simple, which I liked. I will give them that, THEN TELL ME WHY WE STARTED TO DRAG PLOT THIS SHIT BY THE SECOND EPISODE? I don't understand. Like, we were doing run-arounds, and it became irritating already. Like I understand, you are here for revenge; why did it take us so long to do that, and even then, like we realized we are better than that-like what? We were dragging our feet the entire show and nuked the fucking ending because of it; like, I'm sorry that was crappy plot writing. And maybe it's because this was a manhwa or whatever, and those are hard to make it to shows, but I feel like we could have filled our episode more with relevant stuff instead of DRAG PLOTTING THIS SHIT, LIKE I'M DONE. Words can actually not describe how bad this plot execution was, and I'm sorry (it had nothing to do with the actors they ate; it had to do with idk more of the directing or screenwriting I don't know).

Okay, next thing in this category was romance building. My friend and I watched this together, and we knew from the very start it was going to be bad, because of the plot at the start, but we still gave it a chance. Did it live up to the expectations? You know the answer to that: NO. Like, why can't we just have dates, have romance, and not just jump the gun? I'm like, what? SUN HATED ARTHUR UP UNTIL THEY HAD SEX, I'M like, can we break down the walls a little, maybe have more than ONE CUTE MOMENT, something, anything. I need substance to actually care about a show, not JUST fucking bullshit. No, but all I was given was bullshit. Because even their sex scene felt kind of random. Well, it did, and it didn't, because I understand what they were getting at and it was really well done, but dude, that's so irritating. I'm sorry, it just felt very random because we were too worried about our plot building that was ass. Like, I'm so done with y'all. (OH AND THEN THE RANDOM PUNCHING AT THE START, SO NOT ONLY CAN WE NOT WRITE ROMANCE BUT HE'S ALSO A BEATER? EXCUSE PICK A STRUGGLE). I said this in episode 4, and I think it sums up our main couple in this show: "I feel the scenes with our couple kind of feel forced into the plot in a way, so I think they need to write those in a little bit better or just tone down all the other shit, because why is everyone and their momma his enemy? That is lowkey so hard to keep track of, but it's whatever."

DO YOU WEAR WIGS? WILL YOU WEAR WIGS? (Translation: the wings were awful).

Okay, I understand we wanted lore-accurate entertainment companies and what people will do for fame, but the fucking killing shit, the rape scene, forced blowjobs, those were actually overkill. Like I know what they were getting at, but after the 18th damn scene, I was just uncomfortable as fuck and it just kind of felt like a lost in the sauce love of the game kind of thing, instead of trying to add to the plot, so I'm like okay, let's actually wrap this shit up, we did not need all of that because it was going into fetish territory I can't lie, like with how much they were repeating those scenes of it, BECAUSE WHY DID WE GO BACK TO THAT CLUB EVERY EPISODE (like besides our main couple)? I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT FELT IRRELEVANT AFTER A WHILE.

Okay, last up with things I didn't like was the ending. COME ON WE SPENT 10 WEEKS BUILDING TOWARDS THE SHIT, I WAS SO READY, AND WE NUKED THAT SHIT. They didn't even give us like a rushed or cute sex scene at the end; all we got was boonfery and I'm irritated as fuck, like actually. I am getting mad just thinking about it. Oh my god. Okay, so things were looking up for the ending, and then we literally kill everyone off. Arthur gets promoted, Sunny gets fired, Sky gets the new job, Sun is still unemployed, and Arthur and Sun have a crappy ending. If you are like, Hey, that's a lot of shit for an episode, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS. ALL OF OUR VILLIANS GET KILLED RANDOMLY BY THE COPS, AND SOME RANDOM GUY, AND THAT'S JUST IT? LIKE I WANTED THEM TO DIE, BUT THAT WAS SO ONE OFF AND DIDN'T REALLY AVENGE ANYONE, JUST IRRITATING AS FUCK. (And if it was that easy, why didn't we do that at the start?) I am so mad at that, because I really wanted it to be good; I did, but it just wasn't, and I'm so sad. My main thing about why the ending was bad is that we spent too long dragging our feet with a plot, and we actually lost the plot too, and then we had to rush everything and get like a mega happy ending for everyone, but our couple. Okay, I am done now, but please understand there are a lot of angry words unsaid lmao.

Okay, episode overreview time! Episode 1: "God, if I were in this goofy, ugly wig-wearing motherfucker’s shoes, that ex would never find peace. As I stated earlier, I am not even violent like that, but I would low-key skin this motherfucker alive. I cannot lie. What the fuck?" Episode 2: "The guy who plays Sunny slash Bank, he low-key looks very hot. Just with the red slash orange hair, it looks like he has a big fat fucking head, and he does not look good with the orange hair. Loki, dye that shit back immediately because there is no fucking way. You're sexy as hell; you're nerfing yourself with this ugly-ass hair. I know he wanted to play that villain. He walked in, and he is like, I need to play the villain. I am playing no submissive bitch. I am playing the villain. They are like, shit, okay, do your own thing, twin." Episode 4: "I feel the scenes with our couple kind of feel forced into the plot in a way, so I think they need to write those in a little bit better or just tone down all the other shit, because why is everyone and their momma his enemy? That is lowkey so hard to keep track of, but it's whatever." Episode 5: "THAT DEEP ASS VOICE HAS ME DEAD. OLD MEN MEAT RIDDERS, I'M SO IRRATED. WHY ARE WE KISSING? I am so lost. So random. Big ass eyes. The smile. Once a crash out, always a crash out. Lace front glued downnn. NOT THE CAMERA, YALL FUCKED UP. Holy eye contact. IN FRONT OF SUNNY IS CRAZYYYYYYYY. I'M GAGGED. LETS CONNECT SOME DOTS YOU DUMB ASS." Episode 6: "He run the mascot streeeetssss.FNAF 9 ah. This is lowkey scary as shit. Arthur a freakkkk. Y'all have sex once. INSANE. Is Arthur a furry? BOSSS. LOVE TRAP STAMP AH TATTOOS. DEEP VOICEEE. HE WANT YOU BADDDDD. IN THE CEMETERY TOO IS GNARLY. SECURITY BREACH AH CAMERA. HE IS THERE BC OF HIS MOMMMM, FUCKK I FORGOTTTT. I am so sad. Arthur walks like it's heavy; I'm done. 5 years ago is just a bad year for everyone. His mom founded Dream; I'm so sad. Oh shit." Episode 7: "Why haven't we fallen in love yet? We have like 3 episodes left. We are too busy giving lore and not actually giving plot on our main couple." "LOOK AT THOSE EYES, HE WANTS THAT COOKIE BADLY. FUCKKK. She could have just died from cancer, dude; why did she kill herself? Wait, that is actually so fucking sad. Behind those eyes is a lot of bottled-up sadness. I am glad they are making this kind of funny; I like when shows don't take everything so seriously." Episode 8: "Thank god for the BTS, because we gotta take a step back lmao. Oh my god. The dream that she built is very different from the way the dream is now, oh my god. THEY R FREAKED OUTTTT." "I wish our romance building was a bit better. This feels kind of random. Is come tell me the cpatial of lithua code word for lets fuck? 41 MINUTES LEFT WE MUST HAVE LOST OUR MINDS" "WE WOULD SPREAD OUR LEGS FOR A FISH DUDE. HIS HANDS ARE THE SIZE OF MIN'S HEAD. GOD, I KNOW HE'S GOOD WITH HIS FINGERS. Can you make me cry? I'M SICKKKK again. BITCH IS WE FUCKING OR WHATTTTTTTTT?????" Episode 9: "WE HAVE SOAP ON US, GO GET BACK IN THE TUB YALL HAVE ME SO MAD RN." "Uh, yeah, I don't wanna see this. Nah, but anything for fame, right? We just killed somebody, for what? For what, dude? WE'VE LOST THE PLOT. WHERE'S OUR SPINE? Those sinks look so stupid. THIS IS ALL WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ENTIRE SHOW. PUT THESE NIGGAS IN THE DIRT, SUN. I SWEAR TO GOD, I AM NOT PLAYING RIGHT NOW. COMEDIC AH WRENCH IM DONE. WHY DO WE ALL HAVE BATS AND THAT GUY HAS A WRENCH? THEME SONGG TIMEEE AS WE BLEED OUT OF OUR BRAIN. THIS IS KIND OF META. At least we died sexy. A lot happened but also nothing lmao." Episode 10: "lowkey ass ending We are dragging our feet and now we are to the end and gonna rush our shit, which is quite irritating because this was a pretty good show. Just the romance aspect was god fucking awful, like actually, we just pissed me off. I’m losing the plot rapidly. Like my god. Just killing the villains off so crappily. That sucked; I am lowkey irritated. We did not use our height difference enough. Sunny ending was ass too. Y'all, we are not locked in. HOLY TIME JUMP. DAB UP WAS CLEAN. So that whole episode was ass because we actually spent way too long dragging our feet. That is just so annoying. Whatever."

Okay, I will let you rest now, mama. But yeah, I don't know, I wouldn't recommend it because everything's just like whatever, but I would say watch for our boys because they did a good job; everything else, fuck that. Okay bye!

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Series that you need to watch at least once a time

At early ep they bring us anticipated of the series. I swear I love the setting when the plot goes to revenge and how the main character will payback the villain.

However, as the story goes there are soo many plot hole that they did not reveal which I believe for those who does not read the manhwa definitely will questioned it a lot. I suggest for those who not yet the read the manhwa, to read it because Payback is one of my fav manhwa.

Positive : 1. Acting - For the first timer actors for such a heavy plot, I think they did soo well. I dont think is there anything I could complain on their acting.
2. Chemistry - Their chemistry definitely the best thing of this series.
3. Cinematography -I can see they try hard on the budget because the entertainment industry plot looks believable.
4. Ending - At least the series show the proper ending of how their relationship will be and how heal Sun is which I believe in Manhwa they did not get that except the bonus chapter

Negative : The direction of the plot and many questionable plot hole. Kinda dont like how the revenge plot settle in one ep which is the last ep. They rush everything by making villain die just like that which very underwhelming. For Sunny, it is disturbing on how he became but he deserve it. I wonder why he not getting prison because he kill one of the new actor tho n whose kill the Dream' Director in the car.. Yeah there are soo many questionable plot which we dont get the answer.

So Yeah thats why 6.5/10 for me.
Still for someone who want different setting of genre definitely need to watch this series. In the end the rating is subjective and depend on people preferences.

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loved it but i understand why some people didn't

i didn't read the manwha so i started watching without any expectations, i actually decided to watch in support of minlee only as i've been a fan of his for a few years now.
i was positively surprised since the very first chapter. there's a lot of details i loved about the show that it'd take me a while to list, from the soundtrack to the photography and the action and nc scenes. i was even satisfied with the ending as i truly think that sun's best revenge was healing. to me the whole cast did a really good job and the couple's chemistry is even better than some well established couples (again, to me).

however, i understand the backlash regarding the way they handled certain topics and the side plots. i do think that some scenes should've been done with more care, not saying that they were done 100% terribly, but they could've been better. the scene in which jay cuts himself (specially in front of sun, who from what i understand, struggles with suicidal ideation), the pool murder, bank's life after dream ent, etc.. i feel like the show couldn't give the viewer a proper explanation as to why these scenes where important and how they affected not only the overall story but the characters as well. thus, we're left with weak scenes of impactful events that only ever felt triggering. hell, even some short trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter would've done some of the job.
i also agree that the romance took away a bit the relevance of the other topics that the show relied on, and i wish we could've gotten more in depth developments for some characters like sky, two-o and sunny, but this is a bl drama with sun's as the ultimate focus, so im really not surprised of how things ended up.
they probably could've done a much better job if the show had more episodes, but then again i didn't read the manwha so i don't know how close to the original story that would've been, and adaptations are supposed to be as close as the original as possible.

i also wanna highlight how proud i am of min, cause after his previous roles (which were lowkey mid if im honest), i could tell how much his acting has improved and that he poured his heart, body and soul into this project. it feels rewarding to finally see him succed after trying for so long, watching people praise him and finally notice how charming and talented he is has been, for me, the best part of this journey, and i hope that from now on only better things come his way.

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Entertainment value..

I dont do big reviews..I get straight to the point. Fantastic series from start to finish.Bls like this are few and far between. It had every emotion happiness..sadness..fear.. disgust..
anger and sexual desire.All the actors were great especially two main leads. The episodes were long which isnt the normal but they could have been longer for me. If you want a good series it entails everything even if you dont like
the depravity..The 2 MLs were exceptionally good looking but being a more mature female
I couldnt get enough of Jarukit Toptap..hope we see him in more bls with minlee..Thankyou to all involved in this gem of a series and I hope the directors and scriptwriters pull another one out of the bag just like this series..❤️ xx

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Revenge is easy, letting go is the hard part

I went into this with almost no expectations, and it ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. What I thought would be a straightforward revenge story turned into something much more engaging, where every decision had consequences and every character had their own reasons for doing what they did. I constantly found myself questioning who I should actually be rooting for, and that's what kept me invested from beginning to end. The pacing never slowed down, the twists kept me guessing, and I was always looking forward to the next episode. I also loved how the relationships evolved throughout the story, with shifting loyalties and trust being tested over and over again, making every emotional moment feel earned. And I have to give credit to the cast because they completely exceeded my expectations. Every actor fit their role perfectly, bringing so much intensity and emotion to their characters that I became far more attached to them than I expected. If I have one small complaint, it's that I would have loved a little more time with the characters after everything reached its conclusion. Still, this was such a wonderful surprise and a reminder that the best revenge stories are never just about revenge, they're about the people behind it.

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a very good live adaptation, but I have a couple of issues (long rant)

This is my first time writing a review so please have mercy. As someone who is a big fan of the original Payback manhwa, I very much enjoyed watching this live action adaptation. It is for the most part very accurate / faithful to the original material, I loved the music and casting, especially ToptapMinlee, who I've begun to become very obsessed with due to their amazing chemistry. However, going back on that "accuracy / faithfulness," I have some issues, in particular regarding two scenes in the last episode.

1. Sunny's final confrontation with Sun and Jay. To be honest, this scene felt... underwhelming? Anticlimactic? When compared to the original manhwa that is. Starting from the setting being completely different and just overall Sunny's reaction. In the original manhwa, there was much suspense as up to that point, Sunny still doesn't know who Sun's sponsor is and when he discovers the truth, he was so shocked that he immediately ran away. It made think "THIS is Payback. This is what the series has been building up to." And then in the live adaptation it felt more like "Yeah I'm his sponsor, you mad? Sunny doesn't even seem to be so surprised about it, it's like he already knew. It's not necessarily bad by any means, but it just felt underwhelming to me... It doesn't really have the same effect.

2. Director Jeong / Karn's film. Now THIS I have more of a bigger issue with. I'm not gonna go into full detail on what Karn's film is supposed to be about, but to put it simply, it's about a suicidal documenter who documents three people who all reflects his mental state / identity and this was thoroughly explained towards the ending. I was truly CAPTIVATED by this by this part of the original manhwa. It was such a memorable scene that truly sets the stone of Payback being one of my favorite BLs, you really have to read it yourself. Naturally I expected this scene to also be part of the live adaptation and I set my expectations pretty high because of how accurate the adaptation has been so far, it is a pretty crucial to the story after all in my opinion. Oh boy, words can't describe how DISAPPOINTED when I found out that this part of the story wasn't even mentioned in the slightest. It literally held me back from giving this a 9 star rating. That's how upset I was. To be fair, you can't expect a live adaptation to be 100% accurate most of the time and the series was still pretty good overall, but to just skip this entire section of the story, is such a shame. Now, not all hope is lost, because there are rumours going on that special episodes are coming, and I'm just HOPING that they will be able to be do me justice and bring Director Karn's film to live as it truly deserves.

Overall, despite all of this, I still very much enjoyed watching this series. There are some things I have issues with, but there are also a lot more things that I like with this adaptation much more than even the original manhwa (like that NC scene hehehe). Anyway, idk who's going to read all of this but I hope you enjoyed my loooong rant lmao. Thanks for reading.

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