Let me preface this by saying I haven’t watched Kiss Me Again. I watched the GMMTV compilation of Pete and Kao scenes from it, but that was it. So, I have absolutely no clue what happened in that series nor how certain things differ from it. I am treating this as a separate story.

I absolutely love the series. I like the fact that we it started with an already established couple, even if they were hiding it, which is quite different from all other series I have watched.

Pete & Kao: Tay and New were amazing! The chemistry between them is great and I absolutely loved seeing them interact on screen. The two of them are quite different – Pete is one that is not really afraid of anything, mostly because he comes from a more privileged position and knows his father fully supports him; while Kao is a lot more guarded and is not ready to let the world know as he fears how that might affect his family. Pete’s possessiveness is something that would usually bother me, but it was done incredibly well and consistently, it really fit who he is. The biggest conflict between the two arose from Kao not communicating properly. But I can also understand why he didn’t tell Pete the truth, I have a feeling that he wouldn’t really understand him anyways. I do love the whiny voice Kao often uses to call Pete. And how spite seems to be something that motivates Pete more than anything is something I live for.

Sun & Mork: it’s enemies to lovers, of course the two got my heart. I love the dynamics between the two, including the way they treat Rain. Sun is a very typical older sibling, he nags and worries, but he means well and only does so because he cares. Mork has a bit of a short temper. I am not really sure why, I wish they would tell us more about his past. I love how slow they took things, the confusion and hesitation and denial after their first kiss were done very realistically. Especially by Mork who, up till then, didn’t necessarily considered the option that he likes men.

While on topic of liking men, I am glad they didn’t go for the “I’m not gay, but I like you” line that so many BL series go for. I do admit I noticed that most series done by P’Aof usually avoid all of those cliché lines. And that is something I truly appreciate.

Rain & Manow: I found the two adorable! While they didn’t get together until pretty much the end of the series, I found their interactions incredibly sweet. And heartbreaking from Rain’s perspective.

Nom: he doesn’t have it easy with his father, but that does not excuse his behavior. He might be young, but he is also not that young. The things he did can and do ruin lives and cause trauma. The moment he knew that Kao was taken, he should have backed off. But being the spoiled rich brat that he is, that was not an option for him. I wish we had gotten a more concrete conclusion on what has happened to him. But I do hope there were serious consequences for what he did.

Pete’s father is an absolute star! He has been supportive of Pete and Kao since the start. And while many people might take his advice to keep quiet about the relationship as something negative, I think it was solid advice. People always have things to say, and if you want to make a relationship work, you need to be confident in it. And the fact that he talked about sex and safety with Pete was great to see. Sex education is important, but sadly not many parents are willing to talk about it.

Kao’s mom was amazing too. She knew there was something between Pete and Kao, it was in the way she looked at the two from the start of the series. But she never said anything, wanting to give her son the chance to talk to her when he is ready.

And if we are talking family, I can’t get over the Sun, Mork and Rain relationship. Poor Rain, being stuck between his brother and his best friend pretty much all the time. You can really see how much the three of them care about each other. I also like how Mork made it clear to Rain that he himself is the only person who can decide when and to whom he is going to come out.

The series took an incredible realistic approach to gay relationships in the modern world. Before you can ask for acceptance from others, you need to be able to accept yourself. I think that is a struggle that we really see from both Kao and Mork.

Pete’s and Kao’s friend group is amazing. They are all incredibly supportive of their relationship, even before the two go public. Like they said, they are not stupid, they just chose not to comment on it. I really like their dynamics. They all seem so different from one another, yet they get along so well. I also really liked the friendship between Kitty and Sun. It was something I didn’t know I needed.

I think that the cinematography is done beautifully as well. There are certain scenes that are so heartbreaking to watch. The parallels and the juxtapositions of certain events were breathtaking, they had me on the edge of the seat. The intro probably deserves its own fandom. It might seem kind of simple, but there is so much packed into it.