1.I recommend this drama, specifically for Up and Poom's scenes together. Although there are some regrets, it's still quite good. For BL scenes in 2024, I give it a perfect score of 10. This is also why I rated the drama 10.
Up and Ming’s emotional development isn’t clearly portrayed, leading to a situation where, although their characters are solid and the NC scenes are beautiful, their emotional connection isn’t well established. This is not Up and Poom’s fault but rather a result of the director’s lack of professionalism. The director didn’t focus on properly shooting the BL elements or the main storyline. Instead, they mishandled two actors with great chemistry, treating each scene like a rush job. They wasted resources on boring, clichéd scenes and various filler content, which seemed aimed more at enhancing their personal portfolio than doing justice to this major IP.This is also a major reason for the subsequent negative reviews. The lack of clarity in the relationship between the two characters is a significant issue. The screenwriter failed to properly explore the strengths of the original novel and instead added various nonsensical plotlines. The transformation of Ming and the reasons behind it were not depicted, while a lot of focus was placed on clichéd and illogical conversations between Ming and the Master. Even Joe's lines about not knowing the meaning of his life without Ming made him appear foolish, pitiful, and inconsistent with his age. These issues are not related to the actors but stem from the incompetence of the adaptation. (I don't recommend the original novel, but at least it clearly explained the characters' personalities and emotions.)

2.Visual Appeal: Up and Poom are both perfect scores. Poom’s physique deserves extra credit.

3.Acting: Poom remains fully immersed in his role, and his action scenes are really impressive. Although Up often seems to coast, his natural charisma and the alignment with the character of Ming are worth a perfect score of 10 for the surprise factor. The areas where I deduct points are due to script issues and the fact that some scenes from the original Ming were not included in the drama.

4.Plot: The NC (intimate) scenes between Up and Poom and their interactions are excellent, as are the parts based on the original work. However, everything outside their storyline is lacking, especially the additional scenes added by the screenwriter, such as the kidnapping plot and various unnecessary family drama scenes. These additions are excessive, clichéd, and drawn out.

5.Biggest Regret: The drama fails to adapt the original novel from 12 years ago properly. The director and screenwriter have missed the mark. Ming and Joe's interactions are very limited, and the few scenes they have are repeated throughout the 12 episodes. The director and screenwriter focused on creating drama instead of upholding professional standards. They clearly had the ability to create a good BL drama but chose to waste investors' money. (This was particularly evident at the fan meeting during the My Stand-In world tour, where it was clear they had the ability but chose not to utilize it. I’ve summarized the reasons below for reference.)


To clarify, I'm not a fan of the original novel and didn't find it particularly great. However, comparing the adaptation to the 12-year-old novel, the outcome is disappointing. Nonetheless, I still give it a 10 because it has its merits when compared to other BL dramas of 2024. Although the show didn't turn out well overall, the standout scenes are deserving of recognition.

I would attribute this praise to Up, Poom, the original novel's author, and the producer who cast Up and Poom, rather than the so-called team effort promoted by the creators. The notable parts of the drama are the original plot and the performances of Up and Poom, not the expensive and extraneous additions made by the screenwriter and director.

The director and screenwriter, driven by their own desire to create drama, selfishly used investors' money to enhance their resumes, neglecting the basic professional ethics required to tell this BL story well. The resulting show is disappointing, as the focus was more on creating drama rather than thoughtfully adapting the original work.

The Thai fan meeting skit proved that the director had the capability to produce a good show, which is even more frustrating. If she felt that shooting a BL drama was beneath her, she could have chosen to work on her preferred genres, such as traditional family dramas or large-scale productions, rather than wasting the opportunity by adding unnecessary elements to a BL story.

In contrast, while Up also practices and explores audience engagement through various platforms like TikTok, daily updates, and YouTube, he does so without making claims of enhancing the team's reputation or consuming others' resources.


Up and Poom did a great job portraying Ming and Joe in the story. These scenes have become popular among the fans of the original novel, but if it weren’t for the director and screenwriter’s self-serving additions, this CP could have gained even more popularity. Therefore, I recommend watching this drama because the main CP's acting and visuals are quite beautiful. Since it’s available online, you can just skip the unnecessary additions made by the director and screenwriter, as seen in reaction videos by YouTubers.

However, I want to tell the investors to be cautious with directors and screenwriters who, despite having a 12-year-old original novel and a large fan base, fail to clarify the main storyline and use the investor’s money for their own directorial practice.

Although the main storyline was not well-executed in the drama, the follow-up work by Up and Poom has somewhat made up for the shortcomings (I highly recommend watching their interviews after finishing the drama; they are very interesting). Therefore, after watching the drama, watching Up and Poom’s short videos will provide an additional enjoyable experience. (The drama itself has removed and distorted many important scenes from the original novel, especially in the latter half, leading to a logical inconsistency. I’m not saying the original novel is perfect, but this adaptation fell short compared to the 12-year-old original, which was unexpected.)

Some may say that Up and Poom’s performances benefited from the director’s guidance, but if the director was so skilled at coaching actors, why are only Up and Poom’s scenes impressive? Poom’s expressive eyes and Up’s alignment with Ming’s character created the only compelling tension in the drama. The additional scenes added by the screenwriter and director that were unrelated to the main storyline are very clichéd and boring. Many outstanding main storyline scenes were also cut. It’s unfortunate for the investors to have encountered such a director and screenwriter who lack professionalism.

The original novel contains many scenes between the two characters. If the drama had been filmed with attention to detail, it wouldn’t have ended up like this, and Ming’s character would have gained more fans. Joe’s actions wouldn’t have been so hard to understand for many international fans. As the director repeatedly emphasized, she proudly boasted about how dramatic and roller-coaster-like her adaptation was, believing that constant dramatization was more important than presenting the main storyline well.

It’s quite annoying that she constantly emphasized the dramatic aspects, which shows she doesn’t understand the novel and doesn’t respect it, being very superficial. She proudly boasts about the drama’s intensity, describing it as a roller coaster. No wonder, after episode 9, the adaptation included the distasteful scene of Joe willingly being kidnapped. Some comments have said the screenwriter did a good job with the adaptation, but that’s incorrect; the highlights are all from the original novel, and the adapted parts are widely criticized online. The editor didn’t understand the essence of the drama. Most of the selected scenes from the original were also wrong. The essence of the novel was completely missed, making it a mere formality. The praised scenes and dialogues are all from the original novel, so please don’t misattribute the praise. The glory for the plot belongs to the original author; the director and screenwriter don’t deserve any credit.






acting: For the first time, someone has portrayed the role of a gentle yet resolute, love-struck uke. He shows restraint in front of his younger lover but breaks down when alone. He is gentle and resilient, conveying deep emotions time and again through his captivating and nuanced eye acting. Thank you, Poom Phuripan, for this performance. It’s the first time in BL history that this type of character has been brought to life.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that Poom’s looks have greatly surpassed the handsome portrayal in the original book, thanks to the casting director. He shines with a sunny disposition, and his smile is as captivating as a warm spring sun. More importantly, his perfectly sculpted physique, the result of long-term training, truly deserves a place in BL history. The numerous close-ups in the show are definitely worth revisiting. Thank you, Poom! And regarding Poom’s action scenes, they are beautifully executed and concise; it’s incredible that he has never studied martial arts.

To reiterate, Poom’s beautifully defined muscles and striking facial features in My Stand-In shine under the atmospheric lighting, exuding an Adonis-like beauty. His emotional changes towards Ming are both delicate and touching. He also portrayed Ming with a maturity beyond his years, showing indulgence and hopeless love. Some comments say he is foolish, but you can’t blame Joe for that. In the original novel, Joe's forgiveness of Ming was a lengthy process. Ming is different three years later than he was three years ago, but the drama spent all its time on the "dramatic" elements that the director found impressive. The director and screenwriter removed these crucial scenes from the original where Ming’s character development was significant. The original novel also provided a clear process for why Joe returns to this relationship, but this was also eliminated by the director and screenwriter.


Up’s portrayal of Ming is both successful and flawed. However, the failure of Ming’s character is primarily due to the director and screenwriter, not Up himself. With the script written this way, what could he have done? So, the regret of Ming in the adaptation feels insincere, like the sweet spot before the next round of mistreatment. Up is certainly capable of such nuanced performances. The adaptation removed various ways Ming expresses his love for Joe in the original novel, while the director and screenwriter added numerous clichéd and boring "dramatic" family scenes and kidnapping plots, leaving no time to develop Ming’s character or properly shoot the confrontational scenes between Ming and Joe. This led many to perceive Joe as foolish and Ming as a narcissist, making their relationship appear abusive by the end. The emotional transitions are abrupt, and Up never had the opportunity to portray Ming’s deep love for Joe.

In the original novel, Joe is a person with strong opinions, not a passive do-gooder. He isn’t forced to fall in love with Ming again; Tong, who was punished in the original novel, is frustratingly present in the adaptation’s sudden, chaotic pairing. The director and screenwriter added a clichéd "family reunion" scene, which was their own outdated plot. In the novel, Ming reacts to Tong’s shamelessness after Joe’s first death and does not allow Tong to bully Joe, a crucial part of the original storyline. The adaptation changed it to Ming watching Tong bully Joe, making Joe suffer as Tong’s replacement.

Additionally, Ming discovers that Joe 2.0 is actually Joe 1.0 on his own, not through any sorcerer. Joe 2.0 is no longer a replacement but a young actor. The important confrontation scene between Joe 2.0 and Ming upon discovering Joe 1.0’s body was poorly adapted. The scene where Ming tricks Joe into returning to the house and solves the mystery, a crucial scene in the novel, was cut down to just three minutes, interrupted by Sol.

Due to these numerous adaptation errors, many viewers can only see Ming’s toxicity and his exploitation of Joe rather than his love. This has reduced what should have been a complex and profound character to something superficial, childish, hypocritical, and fragile.


Finally, while the NC scenes in the drama are visually stunning, they often come across as unrealistic, especially the ridiculous sneeze scene, which turns Ming from the beastly character in the original novel into a “6-second man.” Some comments question why Joe can't overpower Ming, but the original novel explains that Ming’s martial prowess is superior to Joe's. However, the director’s desire to create a “cute” fight scene with Up and Sol made it hard for any viewer to believe Ming's superior strength. This issue lies with the director and screenwriter, not with the original novel or Up and Poom. (If Up and Poom collaborate again, I hope the NC scenes can be made more realistic.)