Great Start; After That, Dissapointing.
I watched the first episode and felt completely in love. The dynamic, the gritty storyline, the many-sided suffering of the main character, everything felt thrilling and so unlike typical Thai BL.
With E2, I had some questions. With 3, I had even more of them. By the time I watched E5, I felt a growing sense of disappointment and realization that I wasn't going to get what I was hoping for.
I didn't understand the first meeting between the characters. I didn't understand the awkward, seemingly random attempt at a beating. I didn't understand what they liked about each other; I didn't understand why Sunny was so focused on Sun yet didn't bother to find out what he looked like, even though everyone saw the photos; I didn't understand why revenge wasn't going anywhere; I didn't understand the humor since it seemed very out of place. I didn't understand where the acting plot was, why so much attention was given to secondary characters, why rich sponsors had to force younger actors to serve them at a gunpoint, etc.
So I went to read the novel, and I was floored because it answered every single question. Half of the confusing scenes weren't present at all; other scenes were given excellent context. The series failed to adapt it. They removed at least 60% of crucial moments, and worse, they completely forgot about revenge and defanged the main character, aka Jay.
In the novel, he's a full-blown psychopath. He's possessive, obsessive, manipulative, cold as ice; he goes through his life without feeling anything until he meets Sun. In the series, he's a mild orange flag. He's so much softer, so much more emotional, and not possessive at all. I just don't understand this weird desire to take a novel with dark characters and twist it into something light.
The revenge is extremely unsatisfying. This series has a ton of useless filler instead; they probably thought people would like it more? I don't know. It doesn't make sense, especially considering the show is called Payback. Everything really starts and ends in the last episode only, and it's very rushed. There is no slower downfall; the main antagonist is handled by the police, of all things. If it could be so simple, why did no one call the police earlier?? The novel's retribution is so much more impactful, and it leaves you forever wondering how big of a role Jay played in it.
I do not recommend this series at all. Ideally, you can watch E1 and then switch to the novel. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. The actors are mostly okay, though they do have occasional issues; the OST is fantastic, and the NC scenes are phenomenal, but that's it.
With E2, I had some questions. With 3, I had even more of them. By the time I watched E5, I felt a growing sense of disappointment and realization that I wasn't going to get what I was hoping for.
I didn't understand the first meeting between the characters. I didn't understand the awkward, seemingly random attempt at a beating. I didn't understand what they liked about each other; I didn't understand why Sunny was so focused on Sun yet didn't bother to find out what he looked like, even though everyone saw the photos; I didn't understand why revenge wasn't going anywhere; I didn't understand the humor since it seemed very out of place. I didn't understand where the acting plot was, why so much attention was given to secondary characters, why rich sponsors had to force younger actors to serve them at a gunpoint, etc.
So I went to read the novel, and I was floored because it answered every single question. Half of the confusing scenes weren't present at all; other scenes were given excellent context. The series failed to adapt it. They removed at least 60% of crucial moments, and worse, they completely forgot about revenge and defanged the main character, aka Jay.
In the novel, he's a full-blown psychopath. He's possessive, obsessive, manipulative, cold as ice; he goes through his life without feeling anything until he meets Sun. In the series, he's a mild orange flag. He's so much softer, so much more emotional, and not possessive at all. I just don't understand this weird desire to take a novel with dark characters and twist it into something light.
The revenge is extremely unsatisfying. This series has a ton of useless filler instead; they probably thought people would like it more? I don't know. It doesn't make sense, especially considering the show is called Payback. Everything really starts and ends in the last episode only, and it's very rushed. There is no slower downfall; the main antagonist is handled by the police, of all things. If it could be so simple, why did no one call the police earlier?? The novel's retribution is so much more impactful, and it leaves you forever wondering how big of a role Jay played in it.
I do not recommend this series at all. Ideally, you can watch E1 and then switch to the novel. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. The actors are mostly okay, though they do have occasional issues; the OST is fantastic, and the NC scenes are phenomenal, but that's it.
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