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Great Men Academy thai drama review
Completed
Great Men Academy
2 people found this review helpful
by p_s
Mar 31, 2020
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 10.0
This review may contain spoilers
So I didn't think I would like this show. like at all. I thought it would be too corny. I thought it would be too ridiculous. I thought it would be overacted. I thought it would be too campy.

It was just the right amount of all of the above.

I don't think there was a single character I disliked on this show.... except maybe Vier. But I think we were meant to maybe dislike him a little bit so that we would cheer for Tangmo instead.

I loved Tangmo. He was so adorable. Even when he knew he was losing he never hurt Love. I love him so much. <3 <3 <3 He is the ideal partner. And Tangmo and Love's kiss was so cute. I totally thought they were going to cop out and have Tangmo kiss girl!Love, but they gave us a BL kiss *smiles so big*

Love - I loved this story. She was so cute. As a girl I liked her less, but James playing a girl who transformed into a boy did such a good job. He was so adorable, I couldn't help but love girl!Love as well as the episodes went on (even though we saw less of her). I loved her arc with her brother. It was so cute. And when Good finds out the way he hugged her--- I CRIED SO MUCH!!!! I loved her relationship with Tangmo - from being antagonized, to becoming his mentee and friend, to becoming his secret crush, to realizing Tangmo liked her, and to her caring so much about Tangmo and loving him. I CRIED SO MUCH!!

Vier - I get that we were probably mean to sympathize with him and maybe hate him a little so that we could love Tangmo more. But this guy. I dunno what his issue was. Like honestly. I watched the whole show and I still don't get it. Yeah dude. I'm fat too. Like a thousand people including my parents tell me this a thousand times a day. I am made to feel like shit all the time. I also have this need to be perfect. But I don't want to ruin my friends' lives to do it. I don't want to break their heart by stealing the guy they like just to get on top. Like what a loser. But I agree with Nuclear. He was right at the end of the show. And I feel bad for the guy he had first sibling syndrome towards his best friend. :(

Sean/Rose - I wish we had more screen time with Sean/Rose. I wish this series was longer so we could have explored this character longer. Like if Rose and Vier dated for so long how did Rose suddenly have a brother? How did Vier and Sean suddenly get so close? Why is Rose/Sean dying if I understood that correctly? What was her wish in the first place?

Good - SO CUTE!!! The way he blushes when Me is around. I loved how he's such an A Type and how he works with boy!Love so that they can complete Boot Camp but he's such a softie when he realizes his sister is in trouble, and that he is willing to do anything to help her. I LOVE Good. He's such a good brother, even when his sister is disappointing him.

Nuclear was probably one of my favorite character on this show. I love how he calls the teacher out for only teaching for 10 minutes of the class period. I love how he thinks he's such a ladies man. He was adorable. I love how he tells off his idol when he disappoints him. He's brave. I love that about Nuclear.

Menn - he was so adorable. In episode 1, I totally thought he was going to be the one Love was going to end up with. But he was too "weak" a character I guess. But I adored him.

You & Me - How adorable are these girls. They are just so cute! Such good friends. Such sweethearts. I want these girls to be my best friends too!!! <3

This show was great. I wouldn't classify this as a BL necessarily. Why? Because Love is a girl. She is stuck in a boy's body for most of the show but she is a girl who makes a wish and then because of circumstances ends up stuck in a boy's body, perhaps permanently. The guy who falls in love with her falls in love with her when she is a boy, yes, but he is willing to love her regardless of which body she inhabits. So perhaps it is an LGBT Story where Tangmo can claim to be Bi or Pan. There is a kiss between Tangmo and Boy!Love so I guess, you could take it as a BL. But Boy!Love is still is a girl on the inside.

I love that this show focuses on relationship building rather than audience gratification. I love the relationship between Menn-Nuclear-Love they are best friends and its great. Vier-Tangmo's bestfriend/rival relationship is also so wonderful because they are such good friends and its so sad to see how Tangmo becoming determined starts causing their friendship to deteriorate because of Vier's insecurities. Love-Good's friendship/sibling relationship is also beautiful to witness. You-Love-Me are so adorable - this girl power trio are a force to reckon with. And then ofcourse the Vier-Love-Tangmo friendships and triangle - because Love is so wise and she is like both of these stupid boys' yoda, but she's still so young and naive so they also teach her a lot in return.

This show is beautiful. It is a masterpiece.

Also I am so shocked at how NOT AS OBVIOUS the product placement was.... it was still obvious... but slightly more subtle than it usually is in thai shows. IT SHOCKED THE BAJEESUS OUTTA ME. I could watch the show without being forced out of the scene!! I want to watch more from this production company. I hope they continue to make their product placement more organic to the show.

So I know this show can be read as transphobic to some degree. And it can be considered problematic. https(:)//bl-archer.tumblr(.)com/post/186465653090/as-a-trans-person-how-did-you-feel-about-great-men/ But honestly this show has some of the best relationship building. And Tangmo is the best partner in the whole world. #unconditionalloveatitsfinest I can list all the reasons tangmo is perfect but it would take me forever.
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