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Gelboys — Style Over Substance, and I Never Understood the Hype
I honestly don't understand why Gelboys became such a critical darling. After finishing the series, I wasn't impressed, emotionally moved, or even entertained. I was simply bored. And that's probably the worst thing a drama can be. It isn't offensively bad because of one particular scene or one terrible performance. It just keeps telling a story that, for me, never justifies why it needed seven episodes—let alone a second season.
The premise revolves around teenage crushes, jealousy, situationships, and emotional uncertainty. None of those themes are new. In fact, we've seen them countless times in BL over the past decade. The difference is that most dramas treat them as a starting point before developing their characters or introducing stronger emotional conflicts. Gelboys never really moves beyond that initial idea. It spends episode after episode watching teenagers hesitate, misunderstand each other, scroll through social media, and avoid honest conversations. By the end, I felt like I had watched seven hours of emotional indecision without much actual progression.
I understand what director Boss Naruebet Kuno was trying to do. After I Told Sunset About You, he clearly wanted to create another coming-of-age story rooted in realism rather than fantasy. The heavy use of smartphones, social media, playlists, nail art, and the streets of Siam Square creates a portrait of modern Gen Z life that feels authentic. Visually, the series has its own identity, and I can appreciate the artistic ambition behind it. But beautiful cinematography alone cannot make me care about characters I never became emotionally invested in.
That is where the series completely lost me.
I didn't like the characters.
Not because they were flawed—flawed characters are often the most interesting—but because I found most of them exhausting. They spend so much time avoiding direct communication that every conflict feels self-inflicted. Instead of making me sympathize with their confusion, it made me question why anyone would want to be around them in the first place. The emotional immaturity may be realistic for teenagers, but realism alone doesn't automatically create compelling television.
The acting also left me unconvinced. The cast certainly has potential, and some performances improve as the series progresses, but I never felt that any of the actors truly elevated the material. Too many emotional scenes rely on awkward silences and lingering close-ups rather than genuine emotional intensity. The chemistry between the different pairings also felt inconsistent. I understood who the script wanted me to support, but I rarely felt emotionally involved enough to care who ended up with whom.
Ironically, what many people praised ended up being exactly what pushed me away. The series is intentionally quiet, observational, and almost documentary-like in the way it follows everyday teenage life. That's a perfectly valid artistic choice, but it also means very little actually happens for long stretches of time. If I'm investing several hours in a drama, I need more than atmosphere. I need characters whose journey feels meaningful. Here, I kept waiting for the story to become more interesting, and it never did.
Perhaps my biggest surprise came after finishing the last episode.
When I heard there would be a second season, my first reaction wasn't excitement—it was confusion.
Why?
The first season already stretched a relatively small story over seven episodes. I genuinely struggle to see what justifies continuing it. Unless the writers take the characters in a completely different direction and introduce stronger dramatic stakes, I honestly don't know what another season can add that wasn't already attempted here.
Final Thought
I respect what Gelboys tried to do. It wanted to portray modern teenage relationships with realism, subtlety, and a distinctive visual identity. Unfortunately, none of those qualities were enough to make me care about the story or its characters. For me, style completely overshadowed substance, leaving behind a series that looked unique but felt emotionally empty. Sometimes being different isn't enough. A drama also has to make me want to keep watching—and Gelboys never managed to do that.
The premise revolves around teenage crushes, jealousy, situationships, and emotional uncertainty. None of those themes are new. In fact, we've seen them countless times in BL over the past decade. The difference is that most dramas treat them as a starting point before developing their characters or introducing stronger emotional conflicts. Gelboys never really moves beyond that initial idea. It spends episode after episode watching teenagers hesitate, misunderstand each other, scroll through social media, and avoid honest conversations. By the end, I felt like I had watched seven hours of emotional indecision without much actual progression.
I understand what director Boss Naruebet Kuno was trying to do. After I Told Sunset About You, he clearly wanted to create another coming-of-age story rooted in realism rather than fantasy. The heavy use of smartphones, social media, playlists, nail art, and the streets of Siam Square creates a portrait of modern Gen Z life that feels authentic. Visually, the series has its own identity, and I can appreciate the artistic ambition behind it. But beautiful cinematography alone cannot make me care about characters I never became emotionally invested in.
That is where the series completely lost me.
I didn't like the characters.
Not because they were flawed—flawed characters are often the most interesting—but because I found most of them exhausting. They spend so much time avoiding direct communication that every conflict feels self-inflicted. Instead of making me sympathize with their confusion, it made me question why anyone would want to be around them in the first place. The emotional immaturity may be realistic for teenagers, but realism alone doesn't automatically create compelling television.
The acting also left me unconvinced. The cast certainly has potential, and some performances improve as the series progresses, but I never felt that any of the actors truly elevated the material. Too many emotional scenes rely on awkward silences and lingering close-ups rather than genuine emotional intensity. The chemistry between the different pairings also felt inconsistent. I understood who the script wanted me to support, but I rarely felt emotionally involved enough to care who ended up with whom.
Ironically, what many people praised ended up being exactly what pushed me away. The series is intentionally quiet, observational, and almost documentary-like in the way it follows everyday teenage life. That's a perfectly valid artistic choice, but it also means very little actually happens for long stretches of time. If I'm investing several hours in a drama, I need more than atmosphere. I need characters whose journey feels meaningful. Here, I kept waiting for the story to become more interesting, and it never did.
Perhaps my biggest surprise came after finishing the last episode.
When I heard there would be a second season, my first reaction wasn't excitement—it was confusion.
Why?
The first season already stretched a relatively small story over seven episodes. I genuinely struggle to see what justifies continuing it. Unless the writers take the characters in a completely different direction and introduce stronger dramatic stakes, I honestly don't know what another season can add that wasn't already attempted here.
Final Thought
I respect what Gelboys tried to do. It wanted to portray modern teenage relationships with realism, subtlety, and a distinctive visual identity. Unfortunately, none of those qualities were enough to make me care about the story or its characters. For me, style completely overshadowed substance, leaving behind a series that looked unique but felt emotionally empty. Sometimes being different isn't enough. A drama also has to make me want to keep watching—and Gelboys never managed to do that.
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