This review may contain spoilers
Easily One of My Favorite Shows
Take my review with a grain of salt, I’m a complete fan of UpPoom and their work.
I honestly enjoyed the mix of romance and crime. It’s far from perfect, of course, but still entertaining. The crime network storyline was the core of the show. I'll jump into the upsides and dowsides without further ado.
Positive Points
* Romance + crime mix: I really enjoyed the blend of romance with a crime plot. It’s not flawless, but it’s engaging.
* Villains’ acting: Even though they lacked background, the villains were convincing. They embodied the typical corrupt, abusive figures you’d expect in gang rings. Also I liked the fact most villian characters were hard to crack, which is a realistic trait typical of gang rings, which often train to withstand torture to avoid leaking information.
* Foei’s character: Sassy, straightforward, supportive, and portrayed outside the binary. A strong LGBTQ+ representation and genuinely likable. Their grief over Sky’s death felt real.
* Wayu’s portrayal: Poom nailed it. Wayu came across as someone who tries his best in everything, delivering emotions beautifully, and yes, being ridiculously good-looking didn’t hurt. I connected with him a lot because I have a similar background to him and a similar personality, so I understood his actions.
* Up + Poom chemistry: Their ship is easily my favorite in Thai BL. The chemistry was strong, even if Up’s emotional range was limited.
* Supporting cast in general: Full of likable characters. Mind especially stood out, I wouldn’t have minded if he ended up as Wayu’s husband. Tai’s potential love story is something I’d love to see too.
Negative Points
* Crime plot depth: The crime network storyline deserved more exploration. It’s a real-world issue that often gets overlooked, and the show skimmed over it.
* Plot inconsistencies:
1. Ice being shot in the head yet arrested, how does that work? Survival rates are slim when short in the forehead. In the best case, he’d be seriusly disabled. The logic felt off there.
2. Krit’s subordinate’s jealousy and sudden change of heart weren’t explained.
* Sky’s death: His death weakened the main plot since we didn’t see enough of how the gang ring in the series operated.
* Wayu’s mom’s gambling arc: Recovery was portrayed unrealistically, almost like it was magically fixed.
* Krit’s dad’s homophobia arc: Delayed and rushed. A more gradual, realistic timeline, starting earlier with Pete, would have made it believable. Same goes for Krit’s mom’s acceptance, which didn’t seem okay with her son being gay at the beginning.
* Up’s performance: While his cold demeanor worked in My Stand-In, it didn’t suit Krit. At times, it felt like Botox limited his expressions.
Conclusion
Despite the misses, the series delivered real-life problems, emotions, memorable characters, and a ship I’ll never forget. For me, it’s an easy 9/10, even considering the negative points, since I usually fill those plot holes myself in my mind and manage to find logic in most of them. I’ll definitely rewatch it.
I honestly enjoyed the mix of romance and crime. It’s far from perfect, of course, but still entertaining. The crime network storyline was the core of the show. I'll jump into the upsides and dowsides without further ado.
Positive Points
* Romance + crime mix: I really enjoyed the blend of romance with a crime plot. It’s not flawless, but it’s engaging.
* Villains’ acting: Even though they lacked background, the villains were convincing. They embodied the typical corrupt, abusive figures you’d expect in gang rings. Also I liked the fact most villian characters were hard to crack, which is a realistic trait typical of gang rings, which often train to withstand torture to avoid leaking information.
* Foei’s character: Sassy, straightforward, supportive, and portrayed outside the binary. A strong LGBTQ+ representation and genuinely likable. Their grief over Sky’s death felt real.
* Wayu’s portrayal: Poom nailed it. Wayu came across as someone who tries his best in everything, delivering emotions beautifully, and yes, being ridiculously good-looking didn’t hurt. I connected with him a lot because I have a similar background to him and a similar personality, so I understood his actions.
* Up + Poom chemistry: Their ship is easily my favorite in Thai BL. The chemistry was strong, even if Up’s emotional range was limited.
* Supporting cast in general: Full of likable characters. Mind especially stood out, I wouldn’t have minded if he ended up as Wayu’s husband. Tai’s potential love story is something I’d love to see too.
Negative Points
* Crime plot depth: The crime network storyline deserved more exploration. It’s a real-world issue that often gets overlooked, and the show skimmed over it.
* Plot inconsistencies:
1. Ice being shot in the head yet arrested, how does that work? Survival rates are slim when short in the forehead. In the best case, he’d be seriusly disabled. The logic felt off there.
2. Krit’s subordinate’s jealousy and sudden change of heart weren’t explained.
* Sky’s death: His death weakened the main plot since we didn’t see enough of how the gang ring in the series operated.
* Wayu’s mom’s gambling arc: Recovery was portrayed unrealistically, almost like it was magically fixed.
* Krit’s dad’s homophobia arc: Delayed and rushed. A more gradual, realistic timeline, starting earlier with Pete, would have made it believable. Same goes for Krit’s mom’s acceptance, which didn’t seem okay with her son being gay at the beginning.
* Up’s performance: While his cold demeanor worked in My Stand-In, it didn’t suit Krit. At times, it felt like Botox limited his expressions.
Conclusion
Despite the misses, the series delivered real-life problems, emotions, memorable characters, and a ship I’ll never forget. For me, it’s an easy 9/10, even considering the negative points, since I usually fill those plot holes myself in my mind and manage to find logic in most of them. I’ll definitely rewatch it.
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