Yuna

The Stalker Next World

One thing that I admire about MAME is how masterful they are in colouring something green when it was clearly neon red. Not many can do that. But the fact they were able to do it in both the stories that got adapted is a talent. Art majors are crying in the corner. Artists wish they could colour as well as her.

And what's even more masterful, is how people actually fall for it. It's amazing. Truly. I wish I could gaslight my audience into thinking a creep is the most wholesome sad boi ever. Actually jealous of MAME.

Now, let's break down this series as I understood it and see what went wrong.

Cir got in an accident one day, and after waking up from his coma he immediately finds Phu and believes he's his boyfriend. Then, he claims that he is from a parallel universe where they were boyfriends. However, we later find out that parallel universes don't exist and Cir was lying because when he was in a coma he saw a dream that he and Phu were together (and according to him felt so real) that he decided to make the executive decision to lie about it and convince Phu he truly is from another universe. Keeping up so far? No? Okay, great, because plot twist, parallel universes actually do exist and the "dream" that Cir was having wasn't actually a dream, but him teleporting into the body of another Cirrus from the universe before his and living that life for a while. Then plot twist again (which isn't really a plot twist, but whatever), the reason why Cir knew everything about Phu (down to his ROOM PASSCODE!!!) was because he has been watching Phu since high school. Then we get a bit of angst, some amnesia plot line, a confession in the middle of the road because these two fucking idiots haven't learnt their lesson after Cir got hit by a car TWICE, some family drama and finally a happy ending.

Got all of that? Great! Now let's discuss.

Let's start with PHUKAN by asking the most obvious question first. Why is Phu, a grown-ass adult, acting like a child? Why BLs can't move away from making their bottoms absolutely childlike is weird to me. It's like a weird fetish they all have. You can make your characters sunshine-y, but that doesn't immediately equate them to children. Take North for example from Fourever You. He's a sunshine character, and most definitely NOT acting like a fucking child. Just stop. Enough.

Many have said this before, and I completely agree with them, this is just Rain 2.0 but less of a brat and more naïve. Because how the fuck did Cir manage to make him believe in PARALLEL UNIVERSES??? I'm sorry, but this is the most unrealistic part of the show. If someone came up to you and claimed to be your boyfriend and proceeded to list EVERYTHING they knew about you INCLUDING YOUR FUCKING DOOR PASSWORD, you'd think he's fucking delusional and out to murder you, not that HE'S FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE! The entire premise of the show falls on the shoulders of Phu's naivety and that's downright stupid. You genuinely can't expect me to believe this whole ass 20 year old didn't realise Cir basically stalking him since high school. And that no one around him thought it was weird either.

And let's not forget how whiny he is. My dear lord give me strength because I was about to lose it within the first five minutes of the first episode and the show didn't even start. I don't know if it was Noeul's acting or if it was Phu's character, but whatever it was, it made wanna bash a brick against his head. And this constant whining coupled up with everyone around him babying him was not helping. Yes, his dad died. Yes, his mother loves his dad more than she does her own child and refuses to come back to Thailand. And yes, that can explain his naivety, but for some reason, the writers equate that naivety to him being childlike. You can be naïve but still be mature. You can be naïve but still have bloody common sense. Phu being naïve is not the problem, it's the writers using his naivety to make him a child and using it to explain his lack of thinking that's the problem.

The show already shows us that Phu has the tendency to always put others first, and I really liked that for his character. It added more than him being childlike. Now, they could have easily used that as the driving force of the show instead of making him fucking stupid. He thinks Cir is goddamn bonkers, agrees to go along with his ramblings of them being boyfies until he finds out what is actually wrong with him, then falls for Cir along the way. Done. Not so hard. But of course, the writers want you to believe someone who has developed their frontal lobe will believe a crazy guy who legit appeared are their doorstep after running away from the hospital. Yes, of course. So realistic.

And speaking of realistic... *cough cough* CIRRUS, come here my boy. Take a seat on that chair. Yes, that one by the wall. *Whacks him with a frying pan*

Listen, I'm all for tops that are completely enamoured by their bottoms. Really, I am. Nothing gets my feet kicking more than a man who is totally obsessed with you while being the greenest fucking flag possible.

What I do have a problem with is when that said man blatantly disregards their friends, your friends and his family. I don't find that hot. I find that disgusting. I don't like men who are jealous of their own family and friends when they get close to their partner. And whose entire personality is their partner. Like, I can't tell you a single thing this man likes doing except that he likes Phu. He doesn't work. Basically doesn't even attend his classes. Is always where Phu is and is constantly giving Phu's friend the death glare. And is so overbearing to the point where I'm uncomfortable. Honestly, if that works for Phu and he still loves the man, then great on him. At least he's not abusive.

But I'll tell you what he is though. A FUCKING STALKER!! Yes, you heard me and I'll say it again, he is a STALKER!! And not just any old stalker, but a class-A stalker. I'm not joking. Cirrus is EVERYWHERE. Like, everywhere. Phu could move to America without telling a soul and Cirrus would pop up in front of him in the middle of butt fuck nowhere. There is nothing cute about this. It's downright creepy. If he were to watch Phu from a distance in the places where they are together (like in class, the playground, the canteen...) fine, whatever, everyone does that when they have a crush. BUT TO ACTIVELY FIND OUT WHERE PHU'S DORM IS, WHERE HE BASICALLY IS AT EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY, AND HIS PASSCODE??? Yeah, fuck off. That's fucking weird no matter how nicely you treat someone after getting together. And to top it all off he has evidence of his stalking by keeping a pile of pictures he secretly took inside a book he keeps out in the open. He's a weirdo and stupid. At least they address this problem with Toh in Secret Crush on You (and this dude had it worse), but no one here points out how weird this shit is. In fact, they all brush past it and glamorise it as him being so in love and boohoo isn't he so pitiful sad emoji sad emoji. Yeah, no. Shut up.

The genres of this show are Thriller, Romance and Fantasy. At first, I was so confused on why this was labelled as thriller when there were no thriller elements, but then I realised it's for the stalking. Should have been labelled as horror if I'm being honest.

And I haven't even gotten to the part where his reasoning for all of this isn't just cuz he was in love with Phu and is a coward to make a move, but also because he wants to keep Phu safe from his mother. And you know, the easiest fucking solution is to stay ten feet away and not move into the same apartment complex that your crush lives on. But what would I know? I've never been in love.

But this whole side-plot is so stupid. He traded away his freedom for four years of university, and after getting his degree he's basically not allowed to do anything out of his own free will. So why? Why the fuck would he start a relationship with Phu??? What was the plan here? Fuck around then ditch him? Because before the whole pep talk about Cir finally putting his foot down from Wim, he was still planning to uphold the rules/orders from his mother. And even in the end, before Phu finally got his shit together, he was still under his mother's palm. AND HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO SHOW HE WAS GOING TO BE HIS OWN PERSON!! This entire plot point of Cir finding his own freedom and getting out of his mother's clutches is so inconsequential to the whole plot of the show, and it basically went nowhere BECAUSE HIS OWN BROTHER TOOK HIS PLACE. WHO CIR HAPPILY FORGOT ABOUT!! We had a whole thing about how Cir would never let his brother take his place as his mother's property, but in the end, he just walks out hand in hand with Phu and never once looks back?? Be so fucking for real now.

And now onto the parallel worlds because I'm tired of typing about these two.

I haven't read the source material, but we do know that there weren't any parallel universes in it, and that Cir was making all of that shit up. And here is where the show did something good. Because if they just kept it as the original, then Cir wouldn't just be a creepy stalker, but downright delusional, manipulative, gaslighter and basically psychopath levels of get a restraining order against him. And while he is all of these already in the show, it's all mellowed out (apart from the stalking) by the fact that they included parallel worlds. Until the introduction of this, the pacing had been terrible and the romance just kept dragging with unnecessary plot beats to fill in the space. And it was because of this addition that I was finally invested in this show because something interesting was happening. Even if that investment came after 9 episodes.

HOWEVER. And yall know there was going to be a however. By making this addition, the writers shot themselves in the foot because they didn't know what else to do with it. They brought in such an interesting concept, only to fumble it in the end. The snippets of all the different universes that we could have possibly explored were amazing. And the lore that they were giving us was genuinely interesting. Until it just brought on more questions.

Why is Cir the only one who goes through parallel universes? Why did he travel into the body of another Cir while in a coma? And why did the other Cir travel into his? Is there a time limit? What makes them return to the original body? Is this a paradox? Because from my understanding, all these Cirs start making moves onto their Phus after finding out how amazingly they were loved by him and how wonderful their love was. So from this information it begs the question, who is the original Cir? Is there even an original Cir? Are they reincarnations of each other or are they separate entities? And the Cir dressed in black, the one from the previous universe, insinuated that none of the parallel universes had happy endings. Why? What happened? Why is this world special? Why did this Cir, the one that lied, stalked and manipulated Phu because he was a goddamn coward, get his happy ending, but not the Cirs that didn't lie and actually had a backbone? And these are just a few.

It's honestly just a shame that they didn't focus more on this part of the plot and only introduced it to add more drama into the story. It could have been such a good sci-fi mystery, but nope, we just stick to heavy handed romance instead.

Special mentions:

- Jin is my favourite character. Why does he have mind-reading powers? Fuck knows. When did he get them? Not a clue. Is he the only one with supernatural abilities? Couldn't say. For a second, I thought maybe we could be doing a supernatural children harvesting cult plot with Jin and his mind reading and Cir with his parallel universe jumping, but I guess that's too much of a plot. He was my favourite simply because I love the "I know everything but I'm just gonna smile, give out cryptic messages and watch the chaos ensue" characters. They're honestly my favourite.

- Wim was amazing, I wanted more off him. Just wish he didn't shout so much. It got annoying really quick. He deserved so much better than Cir as a friend. Dude does so much for Cir only to get nothing back.

- The mum. Fucking horrid. I don't see the point in her if they weren't even gonna try to give her a redemption arc or put her behind bars. This whole bullshit of, my children are my property and I'm using one of them to get back at my husband was ridiculous. We know nothing about her and everyone expects me to believe she's scary and powerful.

- Ozone. He needs to ditch his brother and find a better one. The fact that he got stuck in that household by taking his brother's place and no one even mentions him again is foul.

- The fiancé was so unnecessary. When are going to stop villainising exes and fiancés? Stop making them the scum of the earth who lust after the ML for the sake of drama! It's 2025, we need to stop this bs already.

- While I extensively complained about Phu's naivety/stupidity I loved when he actually stood up for himself when he needed to. He can get his praises for that.

- Boss as the Cir dressed in black was my favourite. There was something sinister about him and I whished we got more.

- Boss and Noeul definitely improved since Love in the Air. Noeul with black hair was so pretty and should keep that for his next series as well.

- The amnesia plot line. Why? Just why? Why are we bringing this trope back? Let it die in the trenches where it belongs. It was unnecessary and ridiculous.

This was a fun show for what it was, especially if you don't look too deeply into it. The characters are fun when you look past their glaring flaws, and the romance is quite cute if you decide to ignore the blatant elephant in the room. It's a MAME story so my expectations weren't that high to start with, and I knew coming in that Cir wasn't the green flag everyone portrayed him to be hence why my rating isn't lower. Set the bar low and go into it, and if don't like stalking your crush and then lying to them about it trope, then this will probably make you mad lmao.

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I live and breath KangMoo

When I first started watching this I thought it was going to be a cute, feel-good show. Moo was everything I love in a character — adorable, honest to a fault, dorky, funny and the confidence in his love for Kang. That was what attracted me to the show and made me finally give into watching it week-by-week. It's so rare to get characters that expresses their emotions so openly like him, and I wish we got more characters like that. And for P'Kang. I love him as well. The sassy, savage and sarcastic to Moo's dorkiness was everything I needed and more. We seriously need more dynamics like this. The love they had for each was pure, sweet, and everything that comes with first love. It was a breath of fresh air from all these other relationships that had like ten billion other things going on.

But then came the cursed ep. An episode too early may I add. I physically could not breathe through that break up, and even now just thinking about it pains me. I'm never getting over that. I knew it was coming, but it still had me in a state of physical and mental distress.

"How can you ask me not to choose you? Who could do that? I love you so much. I love you so much it feel like I'm dying." — These words are going to forever haunt me, and seeing them cry made me lose it. And don't even get me started on the Kai Palo. ONE YEAR!! HE KEPT IT FROZEN FOR ONE YEAR!! JUST TAKE MY HEART AND LET ME REST!! Never have I regretted watching a show week by week so much. The pain they were going through, how much they missed each other, how Moo kept looking for Kang... ugh, pain. Just fucking pain.

Then you bring out the blank letters?! Have you not hurt me enough??? HUH?!!?!? Why would you bring that out now? The fact that Kang has been sending Moo blank letters for a WHOLE YEAR and Moo didn't know about it and kept thinking he didn't miss him just ended me. WTF GMMTV?! YOU BETTER BE PAYING FOR MY THERAPY YOU MOFOS!!

And Potae and Payos... Why on earth was their story line so messy? I thought it was going to be a simple friends to lovers story line, but nope -_- Istg this show was a master of subverting expectations. No one saw any of this pain coming their way.

Was this the best script of all time? No. Did it have the most consistent of story? No. But the actors were great, the feelings were portrayed, and the story touched upon one of the most prevalent issues idols face everyday. I'm just glad that KangMoon got their happy ending, cuz if they didn't I'd be storming that GMMTV building.

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The happy ending we needed after the sad-fest that was 2024 c-dramas!

The way I knew this was going to be that show then moment I laid eyes on that trailer is actually insanity. I saw that trailer and I counted down for this release date and I was checking these comments and watching the edits like no one else. And the moment their marriage ep dropped? I was up at 10 am in the morning every day watching this as it aired. This was the first c-drama that I kept up with daily, and no fucking regrets at all. It had everything I wanted in terms of romance and more. Grey hair and that horse kiss was all I needed to sell me on this show, and it fucking DELIVERED!!!

2024 was nothing but sad dramas, and I went on a binge to watch as many sad endings as possible. Honestly, I was ready to sacrifice the happy ending for Song Mo to get his grey hair back, but I guess a happy ending will do after the devastating year that was 2024 c-dramas. And the fact that we got a proper wedding scene??? WE NEED MORE OF THEM!!! It's so annoying that we don't proper ones while the couple are in love. It's always arranged or forced and it's so jarring. So props to the director. But damn tho, Duke Ying and the Emperor... sheesh... there was a little somthin' somethin' going on there. I just kept side eying the two can't lie.

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I will go to war for these boys!

This show was the only thing single handily keeping me while alive for the month. The way I didn't even wait for it to be uploaded to an illegal website and started fighting vpn. Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian are my babies, anyone hurts them its on sight. Like, they're the most adorable pieces of fluff to ever fluff. Watching them go from this enemies, to friends, to being absolutely unreplaceable in each others lives was most amazing, heart-felt and masterful thing I've ever seen.

"From now on, I’ll eat lunch with you, I’ll live with you, and you better not regret it."

"To hell with regret." -- It started with this, and the build up to it was so well done I can't even express it. These two actors fucking carried and put their whole backs into it. And them as individual people were portrayed so well I could actually cry.

"I didn't pack my bag. It's been there all this time." -- At first, I didn't know what that meant. But then you hit me with this shit; "He started wondering about. He lived in whichever home had room. I often saw him carrying his luggage, staying here or there for a little while, never able to get close to anyone. No one could have him for long." -- I fucking cried man. Jiang Tian didn't deserve any of it. He was just looking for a place to stay, and something or someone to call his home. Then he meets Sheng Wang and his whole life orbits out of trajectory. He found what he was looking for, and he was going to keep it all cost even by hiding away his feelings.

"Because then it'll really become a place that belongs to you. Don't you think so? It's what you want, right? So I'll go with you!" -- I just know that is the exact moment when Jiang thought Sheng was his home. There were no need for words from him, you could just from his facial expressions and eyes alone that Sheng Wang is whole world and beyond. And when he finally found his home? I fucking screamed okay? SCREAMED!! "You're home. Welcome home." The way I actually bawled during this scene is not even funny. Frankly, it was embarrassing, but did I care???? NO! CUZ JIANG TIAN CRIED AND SO DID I. HE FOUND HIS HOME AND I WAS GOING TO SHED ALL THE TEARS NEEDED.

And Sheng Wang, his boy is a bundle of clouds. I wanna hug and aggressively shake him at the same time. The abandonment issues really stuck with this kid and shaped his whole being. And he used studying as his whole thing, keeping it as a shield because it's the only thing that will not disappoint him. Then Jiang Tian came into his life and boom! Everything fell apart and come back together perfectly. This boy is so deep in love with Tian and he doesn't even know it yet. I just know he'd physically be uncapable of surviving without him. "When I thought I was abandoned by the whole world, when I thought it was useless to work heard, I actually forgot that someone who had nowhere to go home to, was still making an effort for me, giving his best and his all to protect me..." -- Yall hear that? Yeah, that's the sound of me screaming, crying, throwing up. Sheng Wang you fucking precious child. I'm just so happy him and Tian found each other man.

And then comes the cavate of the show. Them being brothers. Like damn, this show was so wholesome I completely forget how they were brothers man. I went fucking feral when Wang called Tian "Ge." FERAL, I TELL YOU. I replayed that scene so many times it's unhealthy. Everyone and their blind grandma can see Tian is head over heels with Wang. Boy, when Wang said; "But... if my dad's proposal is accepted, we'll become real brothers. Will you be unhappy?" -- you can just see what's going in Jiang's mind. Boy does not want to be brothers bruv.

But then. BUT THEN. If that wasn't enough. THEY ENDED THIS SHOW IN THE MOST HEART-BREAKING ENDING EVER. People out here being like "they just changed classes, blah, blah, blah." BUT NO. THEY DIDN'T JUST CHANGE CLASSES. WERE YOU NOT WATCHING THE SHOW?????? Tian knew Wang intentionally fucked up the test, and thought he was leaving him on purpose. The home he so desperately searched for was leaving him intentionally. And then, on top of that, Wang lied to him about. The abandonment issues, the lying... bro, it was all resurfacing. This last episode broke me in ways I didn't think possible. And I'm still not over it. And to end it with this monologue?

"To be secretly in love is one's personal turmoil. Because I like you so much, I feel like I've been overly cautious, like walking on thin ice, to the point where I nearly forgot that I'm 17 years old. At this age, the whole world is mine. I don't have to hesitate, and I don't need to consider things. There's no obstacle I can't overcome, and nothing I can't do." This is a cruel and unusual punishment. Wang tried so hard to stay away, but bro, he cannot live out without his mans.

And season two being confirmed was the best thing my ears have been subjected to in the year of 2024!! IF THEY DON'T GET THEIR HAPPY ENDING I WILL FUCKING RIOT. I WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER "STAY WITH ME", YOU HEAR ME?????

Now as to why this didn't get a 10 like it should have. First the ending. That automatically reduced the rating for me. And the main reason? The fucking teachers. The way I was using my skip button for them was insane. I did not give two hoots about them and I still don't. I honestly thought the two male teachers were dating, but apparently not??? I was just confused man. Their story line takes up more space then it actually needs to. Unnecessary, irrelevant, couldn't care less.

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An annoying character done right

Not this show being one of the best things put to page. The absolute fucking galls of the writer to create someone like Kawi is astronomical. He was so fucking annoying, irritating, hair-pulingly frustrating, and yet not once could I hate the guy. The way they wrote this character was fucking amazing, and every aspect of his personality made sense and got developed. This is a case study of a character arc done right. And the way this boy slowly started to realise how much he needed Piseng next to him was both satisfying and heart-breaking. These two went through too much. And then he goes on and says this: "For me, no matter what happens, being his and belong to one another is the rightest thing." -- And this line single handily took me out and put me back together.

And Piseng. Oh my fucking lord, this boy. I want to wrap him up in a blanket and give him the biggest hug. Boy went through to much, and not once did his heart waver. The greenest of green flags to ever green. Ain't no one doing it like him.

And special mention to Max and Pear. No friend has ever friended like Max. Give his boy a fucking award for being everyone's therapist. And Pear, my beautiful girl, I would have rioted if she didn't get a happy ending. She deserves it more than anyone.

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Tragic property. Emotional property. HEARTBREAK property! WHERE IS MY THERAPY PROPERTY?!

I'm going to miss this show so much. Coming home to watch this nonsense of a show and laughing my head off for the first half only to be depressed for the second half was another kind of happiness. Watching this group of unlikely people coming together and becoming the best found family ever was something I never knew I needed, but want to keep watching unfold forever. They were each others family, friends and home. I NEED A SEASON TWO.

But real talk tho. These motherfuckers out here telling me it's not BL, but was it casual when Home called Peach his home? Was it casual when Peach cried like that for Home? "Would it be right for me to tell him I don't want him to go? Would it be right to say I want him to stay with me, that it'd be just us, ghost-hunting?" WAS IT CASUAL WHEN HOME SAID THIS ABOUT PEACH???? WAS IT????

Like, these people are so adamant, yet, simultaneously feeding my delulu like no one else. "Why would I go back there for when my dream is here?" -- I lost my fucking shit okay. The way my breathing just stopped. At this point they're just playing into it. Peach out here giving up his dream job and saying it's cuz the ghosts will speak Chiang Mai dialect. Brother, who you trying to fool??? You can't hear ghosts you mofo, why you capping!!! Like PangPang was the biggest shipper and wasn't even trying to hide it. They're in love your honour, they're married you're honour. If this is me being delulu, then I shall forever be delulu!!

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What you get when two people are allergic to happy endings.

These two motherfuckers are really allergic to happy endings, huh? Not a single one of their dramas that I have completed had a happy ending. But that's not to say I didn't choose this upon myself. I've been digging sad endings recently, and this was added to my list of to be watched immediately. And the thing that made drop everything and watch this? THE FACT THAT THE ML WAS A RED FLAG.

Honestly, I forgot how fun it was being absolutely colour blind. This man isn't even red, he's full on black. And the kicker? I was fully supporting and crying for him. Istg, something about the reds and blacks man, they have a way to play with my emotions. And lets not forgot how pretty Allen is with that pony tail.

I just loved how everyone was so smart in this. There was no dumb characters, no damsels in distresses, and no motivations that seemed flawed. I thought Jiang Ci was going to be someone I didn't like because she seemed naïve, BUT I'M SO GLAD SHE PROVED ME WRONG. I just loved how she was a no bullshit, no nonsense girl. And that slowly, she started to see the ML's side, but still stuck to her own views and morals. Writers usually fuck up these kinds of characters. but they did a fantastic job with her.

And did I fucking cry a river when everyone was more than willing to sacrifice themselves for Wei Zhao? 1010%. Every single one of those scenes made me sob. And no matter how much they wished for his happiness, it was always in his fate to die. I swear, the way I could hear my heart breaking when they showed the marriage sealing from both their POVs. And that ending? "Your father's been waiting for us at home." — Yeah, I did this to myself and now I have to forever live with the consequences. We didn't get enough of their love story, and I will never forgive the writers for that. THEY DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER!!

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Came here for Pond, stayed for Bass and now JohanNorth have me in a choke hold.

Was this the most mind-blowing thing to be put to page? Fuck no. But I can tell you right now this sure had more going on then We Are the series and that focused on four couples and while this focused on two (while the next two will be out in part 2).

It was honestly to my own detriment that Pond's first work that I watched was 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us. This man is a phenomenal actor, and I knew I would watch him in any BL from that moment forward. So when I found out he was gonna be in this, I immediately jumped on board.

HOWEVER. And I mean this however in the nicest way possible -- the execution of HillTer's story totally killed it. There was something there, there honestly was. We had such great potential for angst, yearning, tension (emotional and sexual), and yet, it all fell flat. It wasn't the actors fault, but the way their story was written. It was so damn confusing, from start to end. Ter and Hill were a thing before, they knew each other before, HAD A WHOLE PAST!! And despite all that, none of that translated well to their university life where their story began again. If they just kept it at, "yes, they had a crushes on each other, but nothing happened," then everything would have been fine. But they kissed. They were almost about to have sex. THEY WERE CAUGHT HALF NAKED MAKING OUT!! Now please, I implore you to watch their story WITHOUT watching any of their flashback scenes. Trust me, not a single one of you would be able to convince me you actually think they did any of that. And I thought I just being dumb, so I legit went back and rewatched, but nope, don't make sense. So I went and watched the uncut version to see if I missed something. AND GOD, YES. There are so many bits missing that added to their past, but it still didn't make sense.

Like the whole "does Hill like Christ thing." Ummm?? You two made out? Hill called you his?? And that's Ter's entire inner conflict?? And not only that, but also that Hill might like that Mind girl?? So after Easter finds out Hill doesn't Mind, he processed to think Hill might like his sister? Bro. Come on.

And then the tearjerkering moment of them splitting apart. When did that happen?? I honestly tried to piece that part into the timeline but it made no sense. Because it couldn't have been before, since Hill's gramps didn't know about them, but it couldn't have been after either cuz Ter's dad didn't let them see each other. Did Hill sneak in? If so, how, when, where????

And it's these two pieces that don't fit into the puzzle that make this whole back story fall short. Don't get me started into the whole repetitiveness of the "will Ter finally agree to be Hill's boyfriend" thing. They act like a married couple, know they like each other, but being boyfriends is where we need to take a step back and think things through? It was so stupid. They actually has such great potential, but they fumbled the bag so hard it's not even funny.

But JohanNorth on the other hand... These two made the show. They WERE the show.

I remember when 2moons was coming out back when I was in high school. I remember waiting every week impatiently just so I could watch an episode. And I fell in love with Bas. He was my absolute favourite. And when I found out he wasn't going to be in the second season of 2moons I was devastated. Then I didn't hear about him or see him in any other BL shows and by then I sorta fell out of my BL phase for a while. So when I was coming back to watching BL there were many actors I wanted to back on my screen, and he was still one of them. So imagine my surprise when I see the trailer of this on my feed and I see Bas on my screen after so many years? I screamed. I think I did and I'm no ashamed to admit it. There are only two BL series that made me read the source material (novel), and that was 2moons and this one, JohanNorth's story. Bas has that much power.

Now that I've sung my admirations for this man, let's get on with this. Bas ABSOLUTELY killed it as North.

If there is one word to describe Johan and North, it's patience. Because that is what these two are. Patient.

There love story wasn't dramatic, it wasn't showstopping or phenomenal, but it didn't have to be. It was emotional, sweet, funny. It was patient. It was real. These two showed us that love can wait for someone. Johan waited years for North, and North waited for the right person. And Maxky and Bas showed us how chemistry and acting can bring these characters to life and make everyone fall for them more than the actual couple. They embodied the characters, they were the Johan and North. I honestly couldn't even tell you what it is about their love story that made me rewatched all their eps like five times already, but it was just the way they were *it* for each other. North was the chaos to Johan's calm. The dorkiness to Johan's stress. Johan doesn't talk much around North, and North understands, loves him regardless. He's always working and studying, always tired and exhausted, and North doesn't mind, he'll just stay by his side to support him. When North said he was a sabai-sabai guy, you could see it. He didn't stress, went about life his own way, if he loved someone then he loved with all his heart, didn't care about rumours or other people's opinion. He was kind, hilarious, strong-minded. He's just honest, wore his heart on his sleeve. And to see Johan's three-year unrequited love be fulfilled by someone like that just made me so happy.

And don't even get me started with the way North's eyes would instantly soften when he looked at Johan. Once boy realised he was in love, he was all in. Those were the eyes of love. The fact that North is a carefree guy but genuinely couldn't function without Johan around him? Yeah, you could tell this boy was just as in love with Johan as Johan is with him. These two were so intense for each other in the best way possible, and I loved it every single second of it.

And the way Johan just grabs North's neck when kissing. I have an obsession. I think I rewatched the café kiss scene an unhealthy amount of time. Johan is so hot man, words can't even capture it. They may have toned down his red-flagness from the novel, and he might not be fully green, but if North doesn't care, then why should I? These two were made for each other, and when North cried after hearing about Johan's three-years of pining, I cried as well. I did not expect them to become my comfort couple, but they did. And their reasons for loving each other were simple that I loved it even more. Johan because North didn't see rich people as stuck up assholes when everyone saw Johan like that, and North because Johan took care of him when North is always taking care of everyone else. They're just adorable man and I really hope we get to see more of them in Part 2 because this will probably be the last time we see Maxky and Bas together.

I'm all for actors changing partners, because some of my favourite BLs are the ones with pairing I never expected to see together on my screen, but THESE TWO NEED MORE SHOWS TOGETHER. PLEASE!! I BEG! MY LIFE IS THEIRS IF THEY MAKE THIS HAPPEN!! *sighs* I guess I will stick to writing fics about them instead to fill in the emptiness in my heart now that this has ended...

This would have defo been rated higher if it was just JohanNorth. It's still funny to me that the producers didn't think they'd be so popular and had to calm the fans by releasing this ep. Makes me wonder what they were gonna do with the extra content. Just bin it?

Special mentions:

1. TigerNao were fucking hilarious. They were just that crackhead couple for me. I really wish we see their relationship develop more in the next part.

2. The friendship groups. My god I loved the friendship groups to death. My favourite parts about ensemble group series are the friendships. The way Johan and Hill became unrequited love besties and Arthit and Fah just watching them. The doctor gang were so fucking funny. And Arthit 100% stole the show. I need more of him and can't wait for his story and chaoticness. I just love how supportive they are off each other. And the way Ter was the captain of the JohanNorth ship was amazing. He was the fandom. And Hill always there with a proud but "guys, pls stop" look killed me every time. And Johan Arthit friendship. We needed more of this. These two were so fucking hilarious man. The way they were always insulting each other but so ready to gang up on Hill was the highlight of any episode. And the Ter, Phoon, North and Dao combo. Powerful. We NEED to have a scene with all four couples on the last ep of Part 2. I'm rioting if that doesn't happen.

3. FahPhoon. These two need to stop being so depressed around each other and get their shit together. Can't wait for their story.

4. Editing. I know this is New so this isn't anything new, but damn man, the editing/pacing of this could really use some work. I already talked about the writing and editing issues with HillTer, but some of the sound effects need work. And that one JohanNorth kiss when North was sick, I can't be the only one that thought that editing there was weird af.

5. The family meetings. I loved them, but you could tell we were just moving from one scene to another. It was just this family, then cut to this family. Oh, now this one, then this one. Bro, Ter and Hill's whole family need one ep itself cuz there was so much to unpack there, not 15 minutes. And Johan's whole fam... we only knew about his grandma, and know his mum enrolled him into the medical course without asking him so he needed to do it while his dad only wanted him to take over the business. Maybe it was just me letting my imagination run free, but lovey-dovey fam was not what I was expecting. And yes, I read the novel, but we didn't meet the dad there so ig my opinion still stands. Idk, that was just weird, but I probs did that to myself. I loved North's mum tho. She da best! The way she kept outing North to Johan was my absolute favourite, and kept telling him to scold North was amazing lmao.

Anywhoooo, I can't believe we have come to an end of this journey already. I'm going to miss this cast, and I'm going to be devastated now that I don't have JohanNorth on my screen every week. They became my comfort couple so quickly it's not even funny. Now all I have is ThamePo and YothaGun to keep me sane.

Once again, was this show-stopping? No. There are so many other better series out there with better pacing, plot, writing and editing. But this was cute, it was fun, and the chemistry between Maxky and Bas was to die for. Reviews are not gonna help you decide whether to watch this, you need to watch it yourself and decide. If you don't like HillTer, then skip through them to get a overall feel of the show and character dynamics until you reach JohanNorth. If you don't vibe with them either, then that's totally fine as well. This show isn't for every one, and that's okay!

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Theerakit Kian Lee being the moment, the legend, and the icon.

This show is the definition of the CEO x Y/N trope. It was one of the first things I noticed in episode one, and once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. And really, it just made the whole thing more enjoyable. Add that with a bit of soap opera, and you've got an amazing show you can't look away from.

The series was exactly what the trailers promised, which is usually GMMTV’s biggest weakness. They show a certain vibe in the trailer, only for the actual product to be something completely different. But this series knew it wanted to be a romcom, and it was a romcom. It never took itself too seriously, and in the moments it did, it never overstayed its welcome or became unintentionally melodramatic. It knew exactly what it wanted to do, and it set out to do just that. The jokes all land, the character actions are consistent, comedy bits never go on for too long, and every single character has personality. Even the freaking bodyguards!

So, when the emotional scenes hit, they hit. And even then, the show made sure you never forgot it was still a comedy. The soundtrack and sound effects were perfectly placed, enhancing scenes instead of feeling awkward like in most GMMTV comedies. This was an actual comedy that had romance in it, not a romance that tried to shove comedy down the viewers' throats like most Thai BLs.

This is easily the best series PondPhuwin have done. I’ve watched all of their shows, and while they aren’t my favourite CP, I always tune in because there’s something about them. I enjoyed their past projects, but this one was it. It was iconic. THIS SHOW WILL GO DOWN IN BL HISTORY AS THE MOST ICONIC SERIES EVER!!!


TheePeach:

Let's talk about our CEO and Y/N first. Thee has to be the funniest person alive. It's the fact that he's not even doing any of this on purpose that makes this even better. Hell, boy brought a whole glass of water to give Peach so he could throw it at him cuz he thought Peach was mad. He's so over dramatic and cringe in the best way possible that you can't help but laugh and want more.

How often does he burst out into songs? Because there is no way ep 4 was a one off. I swear, the amount of times I had to pause the show just so I could catch a breath or scream because of how embarrassing it was, only for then to want more of his stupid ass.

And he fits the Rich CEO Alpha Daddy trope so fucking well. He has endless amounts of money. Gets humbled at every second when he's with Y/N. Is magically always there where Y/N is. Downbadism is a syndrome he doesn't want to be cured from. Is only nice to his fam, Y/N and Y/ N’s fam. Threatens to kill everyone that hurt Y/N. The list goes on. Every time I see even a hint of something from my wattpad days, it just made me laugh even more.

Pond Naravit has always been one of the most attractive men I've seen, but seeing him in these suits, acting like a Rich CEO, made him so much more attractive. This was exactly the kind of role Pond was born and raised for. There is absolutely no one, NO ONE, that could have replaced him for this role. The mannerisms, the facial expressions, the body language. They were so well done that you’d think that was Pond himself and not a character. They just gave bro the script and said have fun. And fun he did.

And him being so goofy made his character so much better than the classic CEO trope. Because while his personality will make you laugh until your ribs hurt, it's also one of the saddest aspects of him. He was a lonely child who used soap operas that his mum starred in so he could feel closer to her. And being a child who was sad and alone and scared, he internalised everything he watched and thought, “yeah, that's how normal people act.” He probably wanted to be so close to his mum that he ended up acting just like her, and honestly, that breaks my heart. He says and does the most absurd shit, and yet, I can't help but pity the guy. And watching him learn what a normal life looks like, a life he always wanted, was so heartwarming to see.

Yes, Thee found someone who could handle all his dramatic outbursts and dramatic lines, but he also found someone worth changing for. The Thee from the start of the series to the Thee now, there is so much of a difference. Yeah, it might not be the soap operas he watches, but hey, Khun Thee is enough of a drama queen to fill up that role. After all, his mum's soap operas have come to an end.

He's such a fascinating character and is by far one of my absolute favourites across all BLs. This show highlighted Pond's acting range, and I'm so glad cuz he improved so much since Fish Upon The Sky, and he just needed the right script to shine a light on this. From all the dramatic flair, to the more serious ones, to the light-hearted and sad ones, Pond absolutely nailed it.

And now everyone's favourite Y/N. At first, I was joking, but then they hit us with the tragic backstory, and I just couldn't unsee it anymore. And I’m so glad everyone else sees it too. And just like our Rich CEO Alpha Daddy, where Peach's character did so well in the Y/N trope, was making him level-headed. I swear, the level of patience this man exercises is astronomical.

Peach, for lack of a better word, is a simple man. Or, in the words of his exes, he's boring. He lives a simple life doing what he loves. And that was exactly what someone like Khun Thee needed. Peach might have thought his ordinary life was nothing to write home about, but for someone like Thee, it's the best gift he could ever receive. And for Peach, while he may grumble, and roll his eyes, and glare, Thee coming into his life and turning his ordinary into an extraordinary one was exactly what he needed.

Peach says he likes being alone. And at the start, you think, girl same. It's relatable. But then you realise, no, he doesn't, he's just lonely and got used to being alone. Peach is someone who had to grow up fast, had to make money as soon as possible so he could take care of his sister. He never had time to process his emotions or deal with his feelings because he constantly had to be on the go for his sister. Because crying would be a sign of weakness, and he can't do that as the older brother. But then, enter Khun Thee, and he was everything Peach needed and more.

Thee thought him the joys of having someone by his side. Thought him it's okay to be upset and sad because he's just human. Thought him to open up that part of his heart that he didn't think he ever would. And it just works. He offered patience and kindness, and in return, he found someone who loves him for all his being that he never got growing up, making his simple and ordinary life even brighter and unpredictable. These two are just two lonely souls who found comfort and a home in each other, and it makes me cry every time Peach cries or they're having a heart-to-heart.

And while Peach isn't as downbad as Thee is (cuz no one can be as downbad as Thee is), his love for Thee is so pure regardless. He humbles Thee, but never makes him change who he is. He'll glare at Thee for spending money like it's water, but always ends up indulging the man when it's within reasonable bounds. Is terrified of the violence that surrounds Thee, is afraid of him, but he'll compromise and come to an understanding that the violence is just part of falling in love with Thee. He understands that and trusts him wholeheartedly that he'll protect him. Is scared of Thee being hurt. Watching Peace come to terms with his feelings, and watching him learn that love should come from feelings and not logic, was so beautiful to see. His love wasn't anything dramatic or loud or fancy, but quiet and level-headed and patient, and it was love nonetheless.

These two together are lightning in a bottle. THE FUCKING CHEMISTRY!! THE PERIODIC TABLE WISHES IT COULD HAVE THIS MUCH CHEMISTRY, MY GOD!! Theerakit Kian Lee is the fucking standard. If your mans isn’t trying to move your WHOLE HOUSE, then does he even love you? He wrote a whole ass song for Peach, proposed to him privately without a crowd because Peach hates crowds, but broadcast it to the whole world because that’s just who he is, and the fact that Peach just accepts that and is so in love with him is just UGH, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!

Also, the adoption. I knew he was going to adopt them. And yet, I screamed when the two kids appeared at their weddings and started calling Thee dad. HELL YEAH, HE’S DAD. Or, in Thee’s words, call him Daddy. I just know they added this line for the edits. I know what yall are doing, you ain’t slick.

And don’t even get me started on Thee buying GMMTV. We were making jokes about it, AND IT ACTUALLY BECAME REAL. It’s GMM(THEE)V now. Love this. And the fact that Peach is just going along with his shenanigans while also losing his sanity is just the best portrayal of their married life.


RomeMok:

Yeah, yeah, everyone and their mums knew Rome was gonna be William, cuz who else was it going to be? But did I still scream when I saw him? Absolutely yes!

Mok is the fucking MVP of this entire series. Yes, Thee is the iconic, the moment and the myth himself, but Mok carried this show. Thee should be thanking Mok and giving him so many land deeds and buildings, or else getting with Peach would have happened so much later. Est’s facial expressions fucking killed me. That wasn’t even Mok, that was fully Est. He was so done with Thee and his stupid ass, but for the sake of his job and friendship, he kept his mouth shut lmao.

And whoever decided to put Est in glasses and in a suit needs a fucking raise. This man is so handsome, I was starstruck. And apparently, so was Rome. And bro, I totally get you. This man is defo Thee’s brother. No DNA tests needed. He’s such a menacing little shit, I love him. He doesn’t even try to hide how downbad he is for Mok its hilarious. And the fact that Mok is always spoiling him just makes me giggle. You know Rome plays that sad puppy act every time to get something out of him. And it fucking works, cuz Mok folded faster than boiled spaghetti lmao.

I was so upset we didn’t get more of them. I WANT THEIR LOVE STORY!!! It’s so sad that they basically grew up together, but hardly see each other. But you can TELL how much they love each other. The way Mok started to tear up when telling Peach that Rome will soon be living by himself in some faraway country nearly brought me to tears. Est the actor that you are!!! Mok is sabotaging himself, and it’s so on-brand for his character that it just hurts to watch.

He could have taken every opportunity to leave Thee’s side to join Rome and be happy with him. But he had been raised from a young age to be a bodyguard, to follow rules, so it only makes sense that he’d be the biggest stickler for them till the end. The fact that it took him getting FIRED to perhaps maybe enjoy his own life is just upsetting.

I have never celebrated so loudly at someone getting fired before. Because hell yes! Go be happy with Rome and have a wedding of your own!

I really hope we get more of them in Me and Peach. They deserve their own happy ending after everything.


TawanAran:

These two… What's with Perth acting as the toxic love interest in every BL of his? Last time I saw this man be a green flag was during Love by Chance. And in Never Let Me Go, but that was as a side character, so it doesn't count. Like bloody hell, I get it, Perth is an amazing red flag (though I will stand ten toes deep defending Yotha like my life is on the line), but can we get one show where his characters aren't emotionally exhausting his partners? And Tawan was defo the worst of them all. And if he was already this aggravating in the show, I don't even wanna know what bullshit he got up to in the book.

Aran deserved so much better. When he kneeled to the floor in front of Khun Thee, my blood fucking boiled. I swear to god that made me so mad. I was screaming at my screen cuz Tawan is the last person who deserves someone as precious as him! And that one scene of him informing Mok and Thee of Shohei doesn't count as a redemption. At least he apologised to Peach, or I swear there would be blood.

However, PerthSanta have done it again with a stellar performance. Did their story really need to be in this? Pft, no. This storyline was so rushed it's not even funny. But they had five minutes of screen time, and they ate up every single second of it. You could literally feel the exhaustion and pain and sadness in Santa's voice during that argument. And Perth's glare. Fucking hell, it terrified me. Why has no one given this man a villain role yet? Put these two in a room with the most awful script, and they'll still produce something spectacular.

That being said, I love a happy ending as much as the next bitch, but come on, there are just some couples that don’t deserve happy endings. Aran does not need this toxicity in his life, and Tawan should be so glad he’s handsome, or else I would have finished what Thee couldn’t do. Buried him six feet under. They shouldn’t have gotten together, instead worked on themselves individually and maybe meet somewhere in the distant future and maybe rekindle something.

I want my favourite pairing to be happy like everyone else, but there was nothing redeeming about Tawan for me to root for this relationship. But because it's PerthSanta… sighs in dramatic… I was also lowkey smiling when they reconciled. Though no one but me needs to know that. They just have that effect on me. Even though they stress me out every time they’re on my screen. First Perfect 10 Liners, and now here. They can’t give me a break, I swear.


Other stuff:

- Peach and Plub’s sibling relationship is the most wholesome thing I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

- Rome and Thee were the funniest sibling pair. Wanted more of them.

- Thee and Plub best in-laws, and we needed to see more of their shenanigans together, while Peach regretted his life decisions in letting the two meet.

- Mok and Thee dynamic was by far my favourite out of the whole show. Mok was so done with his boss's bullshit, but his salary was on the line, so he couldn’t even say anything. And Thee always reminding him they’re best friends is so precious to me.

- Wanted more for the wedding and adoption scene, it felt rushed.

- Should have fleshed out Tawan and Shohei a bit more, that dynamic was lowkey interesting.

- The bodyguards! I need a whole sitcom with just them and Thee.


This show deserves all the praise, all the hype, and all the love it’s getting. The memes from this show have made me laugh even more than the actual show, and Khun Thee is the most iconic piece of media I have had the pleasure of experiencing. We seriously need more Khun Theels in our lives. He has gone beyond Thai media and has entred K-pop stratosphere, that’s how iconic he truly is.

I’m so sad that we won't get more of his and Mok's shenanigans. I really hope GMM(THEE)V doesn't put PondPhuwin back in high school or college again. These two were meant to do romcoms, so give them more romcoms!!! But after the immense success and attention this series has garnered, they’ll probably be on more alert, so I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do next. Though I doubt anything will ever come close to this iconic piece of media, sadly. They are basically the face of GMM(THEE)V, and this series has definitely shown why that is.

Goodbye, my favourite CEO x Y/N!! Until Peach and Me!! You shall be missed, but definitely not forgotten. Best believe I’m coming back to rewatch this every time I need a good laugh.

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Definition of power couple

When I say power couple, I MEAN POWER COUPLE. And that's exactly what these two are. They are ride or die. I'll burn the world for you. This is the kind of romance I want on my screen. Two strong-minded people that trust and depend on each other, know what the other is thinking, rely on each other, and love each other unconditionally.

"Don't come close to me. Whenever I see you, my heart thumps and I feel thirsty."

"Me too. Because I like you." — When I tell you I fucking screamed. I Couldn't. I waited for the confession, and it delivered. Not a single scene felt wasted, and the emotions were delivered to perfection.

"Tell the world it'll have to wait. I have to see Yi-hyun. If I lose him... my world may really collapse." — MORE FLs LIKE THIS WHERE??? Sae Bom is the fucking standard, and we need more people like her.

But real talk, for a drama that is called happiness, it sure stressed and angered the fuck out of me. Every person in that complex apart from the weird dude and the kid need to burn in the fires of hell. The amount of satisfaction I got when Yi Hyun kept teaching that glasses bastard a lesson was indescribable. Park Hyung Sik is one of my favourite actors, and him in this role had me squealing. He would honestly rock a more darker role, and I would be so down bad for him.

And the ending. OMFG THE ENDING. Istg I had the biggest heart attack when the ending happened. I was in tears. I couldn't breathe. I thought someone just shot the earth and we were crumbling to pieces. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But IDC BECAUSE HOW DARE YOU PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS LIKE THAT?!?!

Yes, there were some glaring flaws with the show, hence the lower rating, and some unanswered questions, but I want to keep thinking about the good. So that's what I will do. I WANT MORE COUPLE DYNAMICS LIKE THIS!! KOREA, PLS!!!

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Stupid but fun

This is 100% the best MeenPing drama. You can truly see their acting shine compared to whatever Ai Long Nhai was. I'm glad we got as many basketball games as possible, which I did not expect. Ryu as a character was interesting, and I do think Meen pulled it off. Zen on the other hand did get lowkey annoying at times, but I loved our captain so its fine.

BUT ATOM. BOY OH BOY, ATOM. NOTHING CAN MAKE ME LIKE THIS BITCH. I know we tried to make him seem understanding and sweet, but he just came off as creepy and weird. Like boy, back the fuck up.

But Q? He was such a complex character, and wanted to see more of him. At first, he was a weirdo, and I thought he was going to be dodgy as fuck. But then you see how much he cares for Ryu and how he'd sacrifice himself for the guy he loves, and I'M NOT CRYING YOU ARE-- THIS MAN DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN HE WAS GIVEN!!

This is in no way a serious show. It's stupid, it's ridiculous, no plot cohesion. If you are looking for something that makes sense and is serious, then don't bother. The best way I can describe this is that it's anime coded to its core. The team bonding scenes, the problems that they faced (cuz what do you mean we have murder??) and the games. Like ain't no way they didn't get inspiration from Kuroko's Basket or something. It was so dramatic at times for no reason, and maybe that was why I enjoyed it more than I should have. It was so stupid it was good.

If you're looking for something silly and turn your brain off, then this is the show.

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Not only did Khemjira defeat his curse, but also defeated mine.

So here’s the thing about Domundi… they are a company that prioritises quality over quantity any day. And that has been very much true with every one of their series. But here’s the thing, I have never liked a Domundi series. Ever. Even the “The Next Prince”, I had such high hopes for it, and the beginning of it was amazing, but they ended up dropping the ball so quickly. So, when I picked up Khemjira because everyone and their dogs were talking about it like every other Domundi show, I expected the same thing. I was not gonna like it. And if I did, it would drop the ball fast.

And yet, against all odds, not only did Khemjira defeat his family curse, it somehow defeated my Domundi curse as well. Because when I say with every bone in my body that this is the best 2025 BL I have watched, I am not joking. This is by far the most beautiful and heartbreaking series I have watched right up there with I Feel You Linger In The Air, Tale of A Thousand Stars, 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us and Last Twilight. This series deserves ALL its praises, all its flowers, all its standing ovations, and much, much more.

Okay, now that I have sung my praises, let's talk about it.

The plot of the series is pretty simple: a boy who has been born into a family that has been cursed for generations seeks the help of the most powerful shaman. We have seen dynamics like this been done before. But it's how they executed it that made it chef’s kiss. The entire series leaned into Thai culture, fully immersing itself in it, making the whole show feel so alive and authentic. It didn’t shy away from any aspect, from talking about the culture, to the clothing, the setting, and even keeping things so accurate for the 1700s flashback. The world just feels lived in. It makes you feel like you are there with the characters, which I just loved so much.


Khem:
This boy could have easily been turned into generic bottom number 145. I was fully expecting him to be whiny when things don’t go his way, constantly make those pouty faces, act stupid to be cute/endearing, always talking back to the ML or not listening to him, I could go on and on. But nope. Khem was none of these things, and I have never sighed such a huge sigh of relief before. He was just a kind-hearted, warm, uni student trying to survive this stupid curse. He could have very much been the most jaded human ever, and yet, he always leads with kindness. And when they explored how hopeless he feels, and how ready to give up he was, I cried. You could feel the helplessness Khem was going through, feel the pain he was experiencing and the grief he was going through. Namping knocked it out of the park with this character.

And the biggest thing, I hugely appreciate the fact that they didn’t make him dumb.

So many of these BL bottoms suffer from what I like to call “dumbbitchites.” Khem, luckily for him, did not fall into that category. Boy knew how to stay away from trouble, listened to Peem cuz god forbid I know half the BL MCs on my watchlist could never, and knew how to stand his ground. Did he have his flaws? 100%. But I just loved how they made him a reasonable and sensible character without making it seem unrealistic. And the best thing? When he didn’t forgive Ramphueng. SO MANY characters would have forgiven her so easily because they’re “kind”, but Khem didn’t. And that made him so much more realistic. More human. And made me love him even more. Because while at his core he is kind, he also knows when that kindness isn’t enough.


Peem:
First of all, can I just say how HOT this man is. I genuinely spent most of this show just admiring how attractive and handsome this man is. I think I paused episodes just to stare at him. And don’t even get me started on his voice. I have never so attracted to a voice before. I don’t even know if that’s his actual voice, or if Keng made it deeper for the role, but god fucking damn, I could listen to this man speak for days and I would still ask him to carry on.

Second of all, Keng is a phenomenal actor, there is no two ways about this. He was made for this role like the gods had crafted it just for him. The way his face could be set on neutral, but you could tell from just the look in his eyes he was in love with Khem or wanted to eat Khem alive was just beautiful. Give this man more roles like this, cuz I don’t know what was in the water he was drinking, but he needs MORE.

Peem all around had to be one of the best written characters. Was he extremely cold at the start? Most definitely. But despite all that, you could tell he cares about Khem. Yes, the lives of everyone in the village were his top priority, and yet, man would risk his life for Khem’s no matter how many times he tells the boy to go away. And it all came down to his mum. Having her die because of a curse, only to fall in love with someone with a curse, it’s no wonder he wanted to push Khem away. And on top of that, he made a promise to his grandfather that he wouldn’t involve himself with someone’s karma, and that the villagers' lives would always be his priority. So not only did he have to fight with the fact that he would potentially be losing Khem, but also struggle with his promise to his granpa, and having that resolve be shaken so badly because he cared and loved Khem resulted in him putting up all these barriers and cold exterior. And once he let himself come to terms with both of those, he let his guard down, let himself find happiness and love.


Jet:
If you ever need a best friend, this is the one you go for. He is the best friend of best friends. He can join my wall of BL best friends because he sure as hell fucking deserves it. Not only is he a ride-or-die, but also a cutie.

But if I’m being completely honest, I genuinely thought I was going to get annoyed with his storyline because it was giving bickering enemies to lovers with him and Charn, but thank god it wasn’t that. I’m so glad they didn’t spend like 10 episodes with him trying to act like he hated Charn and all that bs that series usually do. I’m just glad they made him like Charn quickly as a friend, then like like him, and be so fucking cute and natural about it all. And communication with him and Charn might not be 100, but it was close it enough so I’ll take it. They were so fucking adorable, and I just wanted to pinch their cheeks.


Charn:
He's my favourite. “Hello, dad. I’m gay. Jet’s also gay. We’re crazy in love.” Like boy, I fucking can’t. That had to be the funniest fucking thing ever. And this boy was also a ride-or-die. He met Jet and Khem once, and was like yep, gonna give up my life for them. I mean, it makes sense considering their past life, but still. Gotta find friends like this in real life people.

I just love how he is a no bullshit character. Absolutely no filter on this man and I love that for him. His pettiness when Jet made them “just friends” was one of the best things ever. I thought he was going to act all robotic and stuff, but fell in love with how he wore his emotions on his sleeves. Even if I did get annoyed when he was being the devil’s advocate with Khem and Peem. Boy, stop being so logical!!

And the way he asked all those questions to the monk made my day. He really said, nope, no today. Ain’t no one about to start digging up plot holes. And yeah, some of those questions I would have asked as well. And luckily, Charn asked for us, and glad the writers aren’t cowards and actually know their story front to back to give the audience answers.


Ramphueng:
Ramphueng has become part of my amazing villains list. They didn't make her cartoonishly evil, nor did they make her the sympathetic villain that gets her redemption arc in the end. The writers struck a perfect balance with her character, which came to life in the best way possible. She was just a mother who was so grief-stricken that it turned into anger, and that anger in turn morphed into vengeance with the betrayal of the clan. Honestly, I could perfectly understand why she did everything she did. But revenge blinded her so much that she could not see sense. She could not be reasoned with. She hunted a whole bloodline, took their children the way they took hers, but she could not see that the very thing she was hunting, she became. And the ending with her monk? Yeah. Magnificent. I was in tears, and I had goosebumps. She was just a woman who wanted to be with her son. That is all she wanted. But fate could not give her that. And her need for vengeance being so strong that she didn’t even think for a second that her son could have reincarnated or that she could be with him in their next life was just heartbreaking. And having her come to realise that while she was about to murder her own child with her bare hands had me holding my breath. That had to be one of the most gut-wrenching moments of the whole show for me.


Episode 9:
Yes, this episode deserves its own section because what the actual fuck were the writers on? Why bother destroying me emotional? Why not do it physically as well, because I ran out of tears to fucking shed. The audacity to make PheemKhem official and give us that hot NC with them only to slap us back to reality with this is just horrible from their end. Cuz not only did we get one death. Not only did we get two deaths. Not even three. We got four. FOUR!!! Are you shitting me right now? And that’s not even including the quick death scenes of all the past Khems. I was a fucking mess. I’m suing for emotional damages.

The whole backstory of Ramphueng had to be one of the most devastating backstories ever. When that bitch threw her son into the water, I physically recoiled and froze because I was that appalled. And then we watch Ramphueng beg that little girl for help and the girl lying to safe the lives of her maids and god… I just couldn’t do it. It was just tragedy after tragedy for Ramphueng and I felt so bad for her. But then she killed Tong and I was going to throw something at my screen because what do you mean SHE KILLED TONG?!?! And then Ake is unable to live without him and Master has to send him to Tong and I just couldn’t. I honestly don’t even know how I was still able to cry through Grandma Si’s funeral scene after that.

And then. AND THEN. If all of this wasn’t already enough, Khem decides to fucking leave. Because of course he does. I’m not surprised, it's just more of a, why not wait until next episode because I’m too emotionally exhausted for this. This always happens, even though like ten million people told Khem it wasn’t his fault. It’s annoying, but I really get it, so I don’t hold it against him. But you know what I do hold against him? Just leaving Peem like that.

“I have no one left, Khem.” Yeah, pack it up. Wrap up this stupid show. I’m done. Done. In the span of one day this man went from being the happiest he’s ever been, to losing the only three family members he’s ever had – Grandma Si, Tong, and Ake. And he TOLD Khem this, and Khem KNOWS this, but what does his very smart brain decide to do? STILL LEAVE. LIKE???? And that note he left behind???? OMG I WAS GONNA GET SO ANGRY. Logically, I know I shouldn’t because Khem is in a very vulnerable state of mind, and he genuinely does think all of this is his fault, and thinks him dying is much better than anyone else dying, but like— Ugh! “May every day ahead of you be full of smiles, Peem.” Excuse me???? I beg your pardon???? You just left him when he had no one left. Even Jet and Charn left him to be with Khem. And yeah, the villagers are there. But it's not the same thing!! That really triggered me. I hate it when they do shit like this, like their partner is just gonna be all fine and dandy and nothing’s ever gonna happen.

Honestly, I just pity Peem through the whole show, if anything. And this ep hit especially harder after finding out about his past with the naga. I guess that is the punishment he has to suffer, but its just so sad. And every time Grandma Si would start singing, my eyes would start to tear up like a Pavlovian response. I hate it here, get me out!!


Things I didn’t like:
Quick rapid fire because this review it far longer than it should have been.

- The whole Khem leaving Peem situation I already ranted about. I think I’m gonna be salty about that for a while because I hate this troupe of leaving your lover to keep them safe bullshit. Not my cup of tea, even though it happens EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

- The communication. Fucking hell, I thought CharnJet were gonna be the ones with godawful communication skills, but it’s the main couple. I know this is a slow burn, but it wouldn’t be burning this fucking slow if they just SPOKE. Well… more on Peem’s end, but still. It wasn’t so bad, but it got annoying sometimes.

- The ending. I know there’s going to be a special episode. But I really wished we had more time to delve into what the characters were up to during the time skip. Like what they’re lives were like now that they weren’t fighting for their lives. How Khem and Peem navigated the distance. We just got graduation, proposal and then a tiny snippet of PeemKhem being parents. And while I squealed through it all and loved every second, it all just felt too rushed to get them the maximum happy ending possible. Which felt weird considering how everything else was slowly paced.

- CharnJet not being the ones to get married. Their past lives ended with Jin asking if there would ever be a world where they could get married, and I really thought they would do a scene with Charn proposing and being like there finally is or something along those lines. It just would have made more sense if it were them getting married than PeemKhem?? But that’s just me, I guess.

- And finally, my biggest gripe with this show that has been bothering me since they brought it up. What’s with the vow of celibacy in this world? Peem’s mum tells him he can’t have a lover, so I was like, oh, okay, makes sense why he can’t be with Khem. But then grandma say’s he’s a Shaman not a monk, so he can, so then we’re back to being happy, and I thought that meant Peem couldn’t do anything sexual with Khem. BUT THEN, they’re hotly making out and jerking each other off????? I was so fucking confused. I thought being celibate meant they couldn’t self-pleasure either. But okay. That’s fine. Maybe it means they can do things as long as Peem doesn’t have sex. BUT THEN ONCE MORE, they do the do cuz he wasn’t practising to be a shaman again yet. But that brought on more questions because that means he can’t do anything after he gets his powers back, but would that also be the case after he got married???? And this. This whole thing has been bothering me so much since I finished this series, cuz it just doesn’t make sense, and I still can’t find answers.


This show has been a roller coaster of emotions. I laughed, cried and cheered for these characters. The OSTs are fucking beautiful, and best believe I’m having them on loop until I get bored of them. For a debut series for KengNamping, they knocked it out the fucking park, and I’m terrified I’m not going to like their other series because this was just that amazing. And I genuinely don’t think Domundi will ever get this close to perfection with another one of their shows for me. I

I’m gonna miss this show and its cast of characters so much. Welp… until the special episode then. Until then, I shall cry myself to sleep because I finished this series too quickly. Thanks Khemjira once again for breaking my Domundi curse. I wonder how long before another series manages to break it a second time.

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This show has emotionally scarred me, and I have yet to recover. This is how you do trauma right, and I can spend hours just talking about how masterfully this show was done it. Just watching how every character was affected differently due to the incident, and seeing how they act cuz of it was so fascinating. You could be annoyed at them, be angry at them, but never once could you hate them. All villains were grey, and all heroes were flawed. And the best thing about this show was how the leads were just ordinary people. There were no big bad CEOs, crime lords or mafia bosses. They were just ordinary people falling in love and healing from their trauma. I cried, I laughed, and I healed with these characters. Their bonds and relationships were one of the most wholesome and tearjerking things ever.

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Passion in the hate I have for this show

Nothing, and I mean nothing, could make me like this. This show. On god, this show infuriates me every time I think about it. The plot progression was meh to alright at best. The characters were alright as well. (We were so robbed of a BL side plot.) But when I say I never had second lead syndrome, but this drama changed it for me. And this isn't even cuz the second lead was better looking or better personality/ likes the FL more. Most seconds are already like that. No, it's cuz I couldn't stand the ML. I don't even remember what he did, but just thinking about him gets me so triggered.

And let's not even talk about the last three eps, cuz oh my lord in heaven do I have words. What do you mean you give us a 10 min long make-out scene only to have them break up in the next ep? What do you mean they broke up over the most stupidest thing ever that had nothing to do with the guy but the FL still made it his problem? What do you mean we get a whole useless ep only for them to get back together in the last ten mins?

This show infuriated me, and the more I think about it the angrier I get.

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What do you get with three actors, one script and one setting? A masterpiece.

Okay... I had to take my time to collect my thoughts, but here we are. I never expected this drama to be this heavy, and heavy it was. I had to pause so many times to take a breath and think before I could carry on watching it. This show 110% deserves a higher rating.

This entire script banked on the actors delivering the emotions, and DELIVERED THEY DID. Everything was raw. The emotions, the acting, the characters. They were real. You could feel their pain and suffering. It wasn't just a script, three actors and a location. It was a tragic tale of how two people's ideals, reality and selfishness can destroy the people around them.

Wang's mother is the perfect example of a manipulative and narcissistic woman. I will forever hate her character and no one can make me think otherwise. The way she controlled Wang so his world would only consist of her, not letting him have his freedom despite giving him the illusion of it. And not even getting onto the fact that she was 100% the main reason why In blamed himself to this day and felt all that guilt. She never saw any wrong in herself, and constantly blamed everyone around her for her wrongdoings. And until the very end, she got what she wanted, and for that, I will forever hate her.

Wang and In on the other hand are like right person wrong time kinda deal. Watching Wang go from this carefree to this broken kid with no light inside him was one of the saddest things I've ever had to witness. While Uncle In was the perfect tale of a man bound by his fear and cowardice, and how because of it, he will forever be locked inside the cell he put himself in. Watching Wang call In out in his bullshit was the best piece of cinema I have ever watched.

"You're hurting because you're ashamed of the feelings dad had for you. You're hurting because you're ashamed of the feelings you had for dad. You're ashamed of what you did to dad. And now you're ashamed of you're feelings for me." — The dialogue, the acting, the emotions, the directing, the music... everything was superb. And only after the scene had ended did I get to take a deep breath to breathe again.

Wang was such an amazing character. Yes, he was flawed, and yet, he was more mature and sure of his feelings than any of the two adults in the room. Every piece of dialogue that was said by him was beautiful and heart-breaking, and watching this young man bleed because of the selfish decisions made by the "adults" in this life was pure devastation. "I may be young, I still have a lifetime a head of me. But how long do I have to wait? Do I have to wait until those people die so I can love who I love? The world isn’t even theirs . It wasn’t theirs then. It isn’t theirs now."

"From him I learned that people may live in the same world but people experience it differently. I learned from him sometimes we can’t change people because some people just don’t change. Uncle, I will never forget you. It’s daytime here in my world. But your world is it still in the evening. I will never forget about my journey to 180 degree longitude." — Tears, fucking tears. Just rip my heart out and throw it away. He deserved so much better.

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