Eliot_Rulez

Impressive political drama with some romance

First of all this review is for the uncut version, where every episode has a runtime of about one hour. On youtube you see a very cut version which runs only about 45 minutes per episode. Also this series is not a BL. It's just a drama where the main protagonists happen to be gay, one open and the second one not so open. There is a romance part in it but not in the typical fluffy BL style. We see that Vee does admire Nong from the start and he warm ups to him very early. Nong is a grumpy type and very stubborn and it takes time to "warm up" to Vee.

The star of this show of course is the story and the superb acting. Every character has his flaws, some have more, some have less, but nobody is perfect. They depict the backstabbing and horse-trading in any politics, but they focused on actual events in Thailand which is a novum. While the series is more a slowburn, there are so many characters to keep track of that I'm happy we had the time to do so.

And the final episode was also atypical to any BL. This season ends on negative and positive notes but they clearly aimed to have a second season because the story is not finished with only eight episodes. So there is hope, we get another eight episodes to get a real happy end.

Because this is not GMMTV, we get a realistic story, with a great cast, good production design and overall an amazing series. If you are only in the fluffy stuff, this series is not for you. If you liked "Shine" you will like this series also.

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too short to tell a believable story...

After "Winter Fever" I did expect more from Trufilm. The "kid" is quite abnoxious and of course with an age of 20 nobody is really an adult. But 4x8 minutes can't tell a believable story, because it happens too fast...

What I did not understand is, does the kid study on the same university as he teaches? If he does there can't be a relationsship whatsoever. So we have to assume he does not. The kissing also felt akward for me... I also didn't feel any chemistry between them.

It's ok to watch around 30 mintues but it's not even medicore, it's too plain, too unbelievable and not well acted out. While I would like to support small production companies for sure, they need to step up with the quality of their script and deliver something outstanding and not the same old, same old. At least I expected something better from them. For me it's one of their weakest shows ever.

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All the clichés in one show

MDL woke up and put this show on the page... I watched this a bit over two weeks ago and this was something I did not expect. This series packs every BL cliché into the story imaginable... It start's of with a drunken NC-scene and of course the "perpetrator" is in the "but I'm a man" closet... the one who let it happen is in the "he can't be touched" closet, meaning he was traumatized and does not like to be touched by anyone.

And of course you will find even more clichés like the scheming bad brother with his worse wife, the awful father and of course the standard evil "bitch" as so many BLs portray woman nowadays. And don't forget one of the MLs must be married off to increase the status and influence of his family. The difference is, I did not find myself annoyed with it. It's just a fun experience with so many ridicilous storyplots, but with the vibe that the creators did not take it seriously.

While I'm critical of most clichés because they are not executed well, this series is a persiflage of all the BLs imaginable and that makes it fun to watch. The actors did a good job, there is real kissing and even the nc-scenes are tastefully executed. The production quality was quite high for such a vertical drama. The only downside for me is, that it could have been a tad better, if they would have released it in the normal format too because it was not filmed with a smartphone. If you want something fluffy, something fun, this is for you!

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not communicating hurts more than can imagine...

This time TrueFilm surprised us with an established couple - but as it's typical with their short-stories, they have a problem communicating. You may think it's the same old same old, but it's not. It's a result of social pressure in Korea and someones inability to accept all the love he receives witout being able to give it back 1:1.

In this short series (around 30 minutes without last episodes repeat) they acting was a much higher as before. Both leads did a very good job in conveing their characters, so they are very believable. There are of course some production lapses, they had to lip-sync one scene (or they did remove all other noises which made it look a bit steril). Also on-body microphones can hinder a delivery in a scene especially in an emotional scene in the finale, a boom microphone would have been the better choice. Of course they still could not get into a real bar - but I guess that's a running gag for them now 🤣

Overall this was not really entertaining, because it was not fun to watch, but it was a very good watch. Some stories don't need 10 or 12 episodes with 45 minutes to convey a story and they did nail it this time.

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A special which was not special at all...

Oh, MDL woke up and put this page on... But when you have already seen all the episodes, this episode does nothing except killing Ken off... Of course he must be killed off, because the thai police is so incompetent they can't catch him... And they are good in delivering cheesy lines. And having a ten minute discussion if the toilets should be painted green or not. Of course there must be a NC scene in said toilets, because a special without fanservice is not a special.

The only thing I can say is, watching this is a waste of time, it feels not special, it does nothing special, it's just watchable and boring and that's it. In this case I have not more to say because I already forgot everything else besides what I have already mentioned :)))

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A bit cringe, a bit drama and much fluff...

The most amazing thing about this series is, that it's a japanese/thai co-production, even when filmed in Thailand, everyone except "Junji" is thai.

The start is rough with the subtitles, but it got better with ep 5... The first episodes are easy to follow even when you don't know exactly what they say, but everyone should get the gist of it. This story is similar to "Our Dating Sim" but with major differences. First the company is much bigger, second the couple did not meet in school, but through a game, even when that is not obvious for some time.

While a japanese production it follows the thai forumla, which means a bit of cringe and funny scenes which are not that funny in my eyes. But overall they did have a good story (not a stellar one), good character progression and even the "side couple" had ample of screentime and did not feel like an afterthought. The only sad point was, that Fluke resembled his acting in UWMA but his character was much stronger and focused. He did a good job and of course he did not need to cry every episode.

Interesting the main couple did not have any BL experience before this series and for their first outing they did exceptionally well. Hill (March Chutavuth Pattarakhumphol) is an inspired game designer who finally lands his dream job and Junji (Mukai Koji) is the CEO of the thai branch of a japanese gaming company and the only japanese working there. The writing of their characters was well done and they gradually show other sides of themselves and reveal that they are not as stereotypical as I have expected them to be from the first two episodes. They grow together in a mature slow way and both overcome their past trauma through trust.

The side couple has the veterans Judo (as Bay) & Fluke (as Phat) and both seem to have fun with their roles. While Bay is a game designer with a big ego and portraited as womanizer, Phat is reserved but a focused chef. Both couples find together due to the research there are doing for their new game which is a dating game but the main characters of said game are only boys. While Junji & Phat are obvioously gay, the other two characters seemed not to be, but this is not the typical hetero to gay trope. Bay sees/feels something in Phat he never felt before and Hill recognizes whom he loved all along (I will not spoil that to you). The only negative is the forced drama in the end, which is imho too much thai influence. They could have solved that in a better way in a less dramatic way.

We will see the side-couple hopefully again, because they announced a second season of "Make a Wish". Koji (Junji) will be back in a BL movie "Love Song" (https://mydramalist.com/782204-love-song) this year which is also a japanese/thai co-production playing in Thailand and Japan but sadly with another actor but who look very similar to March (Hill) imho.

The production was good, the actors were good and the vibe was good. I don't know why, but I felt happy watching this. So I see no reason why you should not to watch this series imho.

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No story... just a well made soft porn...

There is not much to say about this...

The two special episodes don't have a worthwile story, there is just forced drama. At least compared to the series there are no violent scenes, there is consent and the couple talks. So this couple just works... also with their chemistry together.

Production quality went above and beyond, but everything else was just a soft porn with some interludes. Beautiful pictures, lot's of NC scenes - a dream come true for all the fangirls out there. So, if you liked the "My Stubborn" series you will definitively like this. But my best friends was the +10s skip button. 🤣

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Cuteness overload...

How to begin this review? I'm a bit overwhelmed with positives and negatives of this show. First of all, The workshop/rehearsals they all did payed off very well. But I still don't like the representation of Japans society. The first irk was the question of the girl on the end of episode 2 "By the way, why are you so protective of Hioki?" - no-one in Japan would ask the question, if they are not really, really close or family. This does not happen. And then we have Morisaki brother. First the prank in the car was really of very bad taste and would have earned him a beating in my book. But then pushing Watarai would also never ever happen. The four friends only spoke for about four months at that time, which means Watarai may have seen Morisakis brother but does not have any connection to him whatsoever. This is the typical fantasy land most BLs are in and we could have done without that.

One the other hand, this couple is one of the cutest we ever have to get to know. Hiokis actor protrayed his character to perfection. I only wish his scream was much much much longer. 🤣Yes he is shy, but on the other hand he is direct, asks what's on his mind and is not wishywashy at all which was very refreshing. Watarai's actor plays the cool one, but he is shy himself but covers it up most of the time. Both characters grow with each other and in the finale Hioki is the leading man. Perfect!

Production quality was also top notch! Cinematography, costumes, editing and the audio were all perfect as well. So this was very enjoyable and cute and of course I have to recommand that show. Also we get the treat of two special episodes airing consecutively next week and the week after. And both of them on a spring break trip is something I look forward. 🤣

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Neither bad nor good, but some aspects are bad and some are good

With this series I'm very split... The part where they record their video-memories are really good. The story is a dog biting his own tail running in circles and the comedic parts are just annoying.

While the story is not great, it at least has some redeeming qualities and the mature parts are really nice. The other stuff is just there including a side couple and some NC scenes which are maybe nice to watch but not really essential at all. One highlight for me is "Cooheart" playing the "lady" of the family but not over the top as in many other series but with an aura we seldom see from him. I guess he had the most fun playing in this series. The contrast between the MLs was quite stark and may be an eye-sore for some but I guess that's done for "dramatic effect".

If they had done the show more seriously it would have been much better imho, but this story it's an improvement from their last series which was worse for me. Sadly Max & Nat have never had a good project yet and I have no hopes this will ever happen. At least they tried their best. This series is only 30-35 mins per episode, so you can rush the 10 episodes quite fast compared to most other thai shows.

Final verdict: Some will hate it, some will love it and I'm split :) I see what they tried to do, but the execution is not to my liking. But it's not that bad either. So judge for yourself.

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At last ... it ended.

I start with the first part of episode 1: A rich boy is in love with a boy who he met on a dating platform. Today is the day to meet and the "office worker" met the rich boy at the most elaborate and expensive location imagable. Because the rich boy is not especially clever, he never asks himself how the office worker could afford that. Of course the "office worker" is also a rich boy....

That's how the story begins and that's the quality the screenwriter put into their script. How this got funded is beyond me, it was boring as fuck, unlogical as fuck and the drama was there just to have drama in it.

At least camera work was stunning, so this gets a bonus point for that, but even with that, it's one of the worst Thai shows we have seen this year. I am just a bit sad that all the actors/actrresses had to put up with such a show.

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Sometimes even Domundi BLs can surprise us in a good way...

Disclaimer: This review is only valid for the UNCUT version of this show. Avoid the cut version like the plague, because as always, the cut off a lot of story. This is especially true for episode 8 which has a runtime of 1:56:51. I would not have minded to cut a lot off the finale because the end was draggy. So consider the uncut version as a 13 episodes series with some bonus content.

P'Aof said in the making of TNP he could not do any better, but he clearly lied, because we saw, he could do better. When you do not make a show just to cater to the fangirls and the actors, to no surprise to anyone, you are successful. This was filmed before TNP and it seems, this is the series where all the energy got into the script.

While the story is elaborate it's still straightforward and easy to understand. There is a lot of darkness in it, a lot of pain, but also a lot of growing and commitment for each other. For me it was perfect for episodes 1 to 10, ep 11 and 12 did not keep up the high standards established before. Especially the "bonus" bits felt a bit draggy and also the production quality was subpar because the cuts where a bit eratic, they could not keep a rocket in focus (who wants to watch just the smoke?) and the happy family time felt unnecessary for me because it did not fit the vibe of the show. Most of the finale would have been better served as an special episode detatched from the main story.

I guess the star of this show is the soundtrack which was really exceptionell and of course the "intro" which did not spoil any story elements at all. Kudos for that! Acting was very good especially considering the filming must be especially hard without any climatized rooms for most of the time. Of course this plays out in a rural area, so we got also a lot of nature and traditional housing. Cinematography with the 2:1 aspect ratio was most of the time stunning, the special effects were better than in any other thai BL and of course they had lot's of work with makeup and costumes.

Overall, this is the first series, where a big budget meets or exceeds it's expectations and after the fiasco (in my view) of TNP Domundi/Mandee redeemed itself as being able to tell a story first and have romances second. They even went the extra mile to put their ads as subtle as possible.

This was most defenitively not a waste of my time and it will not be a waste of your time either.

Update: Thanks for all the upvotes but thanks also for nearly the same amount of downvotes. If I sometimes agree with the masses they downvote and when I write harsh reviews disagreeing with them, I get the same. It's really amusing how much hate people have in them.

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Again a wasted chance...

What's with all the "periodic" series in the past six months? It's all very lacorn style, over-dramatized acting, female villains and generally a story which does not make much sense. They build up a conspiracy against the crown which fades into nothingness. And because they are lazy writing a good script, there has to be a doppelganger which can be overtaken by a ghost...

I'm very sorry, this is also one of the series which is mostly bullshit. While I like BillyBabe (and of course their chemistry is undeniable being a real couple) and I think they can act, it's wasted with this kind of story. Maybe this only resonates with asiens or it resonates only with women, but for me it's just boring and unbelievable. This series makes some up with very good cinematography, very nice costumes, the dancing which was for sure a chore training for and the music in general.

Storywise this was a dumpster fire. Generally it's watchable, but mostly a waste of time.

Edit: Billy & Babe left Idol Factory, was anounced on 31st January 2026... good for them!

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sensible, symbolism and real kisses ?

This was not on my radar, but good friends recommanded this series to me.

RANT: The worst part first: The subtitles. Who the fuck thought of this font and that they need to put pastel colored text on a pastel colored backgrond in the beginning of every episode? It's unreadable. Second the normal subtitles were a joke as well, it's 7pts and anyone, even with perfect eye-sight will have trouble to read such text if the person has a reasonable distance to the monitor/TV set. I needed to watch 50cm away from my 30" monitor which is annoying as hell! You can add normal subtitles on youtube easily and it would not have mattered. To hard encode subtitles is a crime as well. END OF RANT

Yeah, sorry I had to write the "real kisses" in the headline 🤣 This is a chinese production and I was expecting the censor-hammer coming down on them. In this case it didn't, which makes this a stand-out in itself. The good thing besides that, we get an actual story, with actual emotions. More or less a coming of age story but not from the gay lead but his soon to be boyfriend (soon means it's only 7 epsiodes 12-21 minutes long).

The cinematography was stunning, the symbolism worth noting and overall the actors did an excellent job. I won't spoil the story further, but it's sometimes painful (emotionally) to watch. Overall I can also only recommand to watch this, because it's an nice uplift compared to the crap thai companies are forcing on us (except two shows when I'm writing this review). I hope the extra episodes will be as good as this was.

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