2
13
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Completed - 3/6/2022
When “Bad Buddy” was airing, the MDL feeds were spammed with comments, screenshots, reviews, and everyone was praising this drama. I thought I would pick this to be my first Thai drama (I ended up watching “I Told Sunset About You” first). Maybe the expectations were too high, and I fail to see how the drama could justify a high 8.6 rating. As reviews are very subjective, please do not hate me for not loving it (I like it OK). I am a new Thai drama watcher, so maybe I am not getting some of the cultural or BL references/biases. I am judging this based on my enjoyment level.
What I Enjoy:
General Plot - I do enjoy this modern and BL take of “Romeo and Juliet”. Even though for the most part, I was confused about why the two families hate each other so much. The reasons given in the beginning of the show didn’t seem to justify the animosity. But I like the premise and how our main leads break that tradition. I enjoy the development of how Pat and Pran compete with each other since childhood. This sense of competition never goes away, even when they become lovers. I have always been a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and I think the transition of the different stages of their relationship is done relatively well.
Chemistry - Pat and Pran really do have great chemistry together. I love their bickering and the continued competition throughout their relationship. This I-am-not-losing-to-you spirit adds spice to their chemistry.. I like the embarrassed and twist-my-arm looks that Pran always has on his face. I also like the smitten looks that Pat has when he’s looking at Pran. They complement each other very well. Their few emotional scenes were done really well. The couple gives off a very rom-com vibe - cute, fluffy, sweet and fun. However, at some point, the flirting became a little too much (more in the negative section below).
Love who you want - I am not sure if other Thai BL dramas are like this, but this drama doesn’t make a big deal when someone is in a homosexual relationship. We have heterosexual, gay, lesbian couples in this drama. No one was alarmed, no one was criticizing or judging. It’s giving a message of “I don’t care who you love as long as you are happy”. It’s different from “I Told Sunset About You’. There’s no coming out of the closet angst, stigma or prejudice. We really need more drama like this to present a healthy, supportive message to the world.
Songs - I like all the songs in this drama. I always look forward to scenes when Pran picks up the guitar and sings.
What I Don’t Enjoy:
Excessive Flirting+Shirtless Pat = Fan service - I love flirting as much as the next romance watcher. However, the flirting in this drama is excessive and cringey to me. A whole episode was dedicated just to the leads’ flirting before they are officially an item. At times, I also find Pat annoying when he keeps on pestering Pran and just repeating these cringey love lines. I wish the drama had toned down on the flirting, and focused a little more on the family drama/history and not just waited till the last couple episodes. Additionally, are we having too many shirtless scenes of Pat? Don’t get me wrong, he’s hot and has a great body and I do enjoy seeing this handsome guy. But I feel like the excessive flirting and shirtless scenes are just for fan service to create buzz when the show is airing. It “cheapens’ the quality of the drama.
Faculty Rivalry - I also feel that the drama spends too much time on the Architecture/Engineering rivalry. These college students are acting like high school kids, with no self-control whatsoever. When you get busted so many times, it’s time to think before you act. With the excessive flirting and rivalry scenes, the drama could be cut down to 10 episodes only.
Product Placement - There are so many products being advertised in this drama. We have the usual suspects of drinks and snacks. I’ve never seen a printer advertisement by a male lead before (I guess we still need to change ink cartridges these days), and the multiple scenes of our leads cleaning each other’s face with makeup remover.
Other Observations:
1. Pat’s father looks Chinese and his character’s name is Ming. It’s also interesting to see him reading a Chinese newspaper.
2. Do Thai beers really have such light color and no foam at all?
3. The ending is good enough for me and we don’t need a Season 2. Love the subtle acknowledgment of the parents.
4. To show that the kids are adults, you just need to get their hair styled back - no more hanging fringes.
5. My first time seeing and listening to a Thai Xylophone. It sounds great!
When “Bad Buddy” was airing, the MDL feeds were spammed with comments, screenshots, reviews, and everyone was praising this drama. I thought I would pick this to be my first Thai drama (I ended up watching “I Told Sunset About You” first). Maybe the expectations were too high, and I fail to see how the drama could justify a high 8.6 rating. As reviews are very subjective, please do not hate me for not loving it (I like it OK). I am a new Thai drama watcher, so maybe I am not getting some of the cultural or BL references/biases. I am judging this based on my enjoyment level.
What I Enjoy:
General Plot - I do enjoy this modern and BL take of “Romeo and Juliet”. Even though for the most part, I was confused about why the two families hate each other so much. The reasons given in the beginning of the show didn’t seem to justify the animosity. But I like the premise and how our main leads break that tradition. I enjoy the development of how Pat and Pran compete with each other since childhood. This sense of competition never goes away, even when they become lovers. I have always been a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and I think the transition of the different stages of their relationship is done relatively well.
Chemistry - Pat and Pran really do have great chemistry together. I love their bickering and the continued competition throughout their relationship. This I-am-not-losing-to-you spirit adds spice to their chemistry.. I like the embarrassed and twist-my-arm looks that Pran always has on his face. I also like the smitten looks that Pat has when he’s looking at Pran. They complement each other very well. Their few emotional scenes were done really well. The couple gives off a very rom-com vibe - cute, fluffy, sweet and fun. However, at some point, the flirting became a little too much (more in the negative section below).
Love who you want - I am not sure if other Thai BL dramas are like this, but this drama doesn’t make a big deal when someone is in a homosexual relationship. We have heterosexual, gay, lesbian couples in this drama. No one was alarmed, no one was criticizing or judging. It’s giving a message of “I don’t care who you love as long as you are happy”. It’s different from “I Told Sunset About You’. There’s no coming out of the closet angst, stigma or prejudice. We really need more drama like this to present a healthy, supportive message to the world.
Songs - I like all the songs in this drama. I always look forward to scenes when Pran picks up the guitar and sings.
What I Don’t Enjoy:
Excessive Flirting+Shirtless Pat = Fan service - I love flirting as much as the next romance watcher. However, the flirting in this drama is excessive and cringey to me. A whole episode was dedicated just to the leads’ flirting before they are officially an item. At times, I also find Pat annoying when he keeps on pestering Pran and just repeating these cringey love lines. I wish the drama had toned down on the flirting, and focused a little more on the family drama/history and not just waited till the last couple episodes. Additionally, are we having too many shirtless scenes of Pat? Don’t get me wrong, he’s hot and has a great body and I do enjoy seeing this handsome guy. But I feel like the excessive flirting and shirtless scenes are just for fan service to create buzz when the show is airing. It “cheapens’ the quality of the drama.
Faculty Rivalry - I also feel that the drama spends too much time on the Architecture/Engineering rivalry. These college students are acting like high school kids, with no self-control whatsoever. When you get busted so many times, it’s time to think before you act. With the excessive flirting and rivalry scenes, the drama could be cut down to 10 episodes only.
Product Placement - There are so many products being advertised in this drama. We have the usual suspects of drinks and snacks. I’ve never seen a printer advertisement by a male lead before (I guess we still need to change ink cartridges these days), and the multiple scenes of our leads cleaning each other’s face with makeup remover.
Other Observations:
1. Pat’s father looks Chinese and his character’s name is Ming. It’s also interesting to see him reading a Chinese newspaper.
2. Do Thai beers really have such light color and no foam at all?
3. The ending is good enough for me and we don’t need a Season 2. Love the subtle acknowledgment of the parents.
4. To show that the kids are adults, you just need to get their hair styled back - no more hanging fringes.
5. My first time seeing and listening to a Thai Xylophone. It sounds great!
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