Reviews

If you want something incredibly sweet and heartwarming with little conflict, THIS IS IT.

First things first, thank you so much Carmon Sub for subtitling this show, you're the reason I was able to enjoy it in the first place!

In general terms, Meeting You is about a girl who's incredibly bright and extroverted, and a very intelligent boy who has deep social anxiety— and the wonderful way in which they compliment each other and lift each other up in their own ways.

If what you're looking for is to feel happy and enjoy some fluffy, sweet romance— this is a must watch.

To tell the truth, the reason why I gave this drama a chance is because I am a sucker for extroverted girl/shy boy stories, but even then it's not like my expectations were incredibly high. But boy, was I in for a treat with this one.

Guo Jun Chen, who I knew from Accidentally In Love (I don't remember much about that show, though) is absolutely adorable as the shy, reserved Nan Xi, and something I really enjoyed is that his growth and him coming out of his shell is incredibly organic and feels very realistic; he doesn't simply change one day and becomes more extroverted, his spirit remains the same throughout the entire show even if he grows and evolves as a person. On the other hand, Wan Peng SHINES in this role as the bubbly, protective and fiercely loyal Xia Rui; she is so incredibly easy to like that you immediately end up wishing you had her as a friend in your life. Their chemistry is palpable, which is probably why it's so easy to fully believe they are soulmates who are destined to be together and it absolutely should not go any other way.

Now, what I loved the most about this show:

• Serious lack of heavy conflict and dumb misunderstandings that drag on forever: I think there are only two "real" moments of conflict in the entire show— one around the middle (if I remember correctly) and one in the final episodes, and they barely last an episode at best (maybe they split it in 2 episodes, but the actual conflict lasts for less than one).
• AMAZING communication: this ties to my previous point of lack of dumb misunderstandings— except for the second lead couple whose entire storyline revolves around the guy being clueless up until the end and the girl not confessing her feelings for him directly to clear it up. When there's a misunderstanding, they talk things through pretty quickly and problems are solved very, very fast.
• The relationship between Xia Rui and Nan Xi, once they realize who the other is, is UNBREAKABLE. Even though they don't officially get together until they're in college, they are both obviously in love with each other and they are 100% loyal to the other. There's a plot with another girl at first (not a villain, don't worry) who really likes Nan Xi, and he over and over flat out rejects her advances because he only likes Xia Rui, no one else. I wish I had read this when I started watching, cause I have serious trauma from dramas where things go right between the main couple and then everything goes wrong, which NEVER HAPPENS HERE. They only have eyes for each other through the entire drama.
• In the same vein, the relationship between Xia Rui and Nan Xi is absolutely amazing. Nan Xi is incredibly smart and does super well in school but struggles deeply with socializing, and Xia Rui is amazing at socializing and struggles with her studies. Because they are good in what the other is lacking, they are constantly helping each other in the sweetest, most wholesome ways. These two absolutely ADORE each other and you can feel it all the time.
• Drunk Nan Xi: Look forward to it.
• Their relationship dynamic is exactly what I love. Exactly. It's perfect. I have nothing more to say.

Now, a much shorter list of what I didn't like:
• The relationship with the second leads is a bit frustrating because you really just want them to get it over with once and for all. However, even when it feels like it's dragging for too long, the fact that their characters are developed in a way that makes it "make sense" for them to not tell each other how they feel makes it somewhat more bearable. Also, this happening at the same time as Xia Rui and Nan Xi are being in love and cute with each other also makes it more bearable.
• I am not one to question the lack of kisses in Asian dramas because to each their own, but there's definitely a disconnect between the way Xia Rui and Nan Xi are towards each other that simply does not correlate with how much Xia Rui shies away when Nan Xi tries to kiss her. It feels out of place for their characters for her to get so flustered about it, when what it would make sense is for her to instantly reciprocate, especially because they're super comfortable around each other otherwise. That being said, there is A LOT of physical affection that is not kisses, and it pretty much makes up for the lack of them. Lots of enthusiastic hugging too.

If there's more I didn't like, it's definitely eclipsed by what I liked cause I honestly can't remember anything else.

In conclusion, I 100% recommend to watch this!

Leia Mais

The idea of putting together the trinity, in a setting that somewhat reminded me of 'Friends' was genius(ok well maybe not genius but the fanservice is totally appreciated) - it was a break from GMMtV's usual Friday night BL schedule - even without the BL elements.

The plot was kind of forced and silly - six guys with the same name living in one house. Each one has their own phobia and will overcome it with the help of each other. This is a family drama with each one having their own backstory and a time to shine, although i feel like Singto's screentime was less than the others.

The acting and the production is outstanding, their house (production design) is also great, i especially love seeing the full glory of the house during the end credits. The pacing is perfect.

What i love the most is just seeing all of them together. Their chemistry is fantastic, its like watching real friends in real life.

What i hate is the fact that it is shorter than the average Thai dramas, and with only eight episodes i am left wanting more! Also i feel like i may have enjoyed this drama simply because im already a fan of all these 6 actors, but if it maybe a different stort if this was seen by someone who doesnt know them at all.

Still, im thankful for this series and will be rewatching.

Leia Mais

This heart wrenching, sometimes tragic, beautiful drama teaches us that it's not blood that tells you who your family is. It's a  satisfying watch that shows you what loyalty truly is. It begins while Hong Gil Dong is a child, and moves along through the trials he faces throughout both his childhood and his adult life. The writers really know how to inflict an emotional response on their audience whether it be standing up and cheering for the good guys or ugly sobbing into a blanket. This drama is strongly written, with many impactful and symbolic scenes. It is story of the revolt against the rich that makes you pour (no pun intended) your heart and soul into rooting for Hong Gil Dong and his group of rebels. The bond between the rebels is thicker than even blood, and their loyalty towards one another is without a doubt one of the most intensely heartwarming things I've seen. It begins with backstory that may seem very slow, but if you stick with it, it will make the story that much more powerful later on. That said, I've taken half a point off (9.5/10) because a handful of episodes do have a slower pace, but it definitely did not drag or become uninteresting. The acting in this drama was phenomenal. This drama made me believe in it, and I think that's the most crucial part of it. The casting was absolutely perfect. The child actors looked very much like their adult counterparts and had acting abilities that were well beyond their age. Kim Sang Joong gave such a raw performance as Ah Mo Gae and perfectly captured the essence of his character. I had watched Yoon Gyun Sang in multiple other roles, but this role is where he truly shines. I believed in his motives, his emotions, and as another reviewer mentioned, the fact that he is Ah Mo Gae's son. I would also like to mention Kim Ji Suk who did wonderfully as the tyrannical king and brought a lot more substance to this role than any of his previous works. The music in this drama is very special to me. The OSTs are not the typical kdrama OST, rather the songs sound very traditional. They add so much emotion to the scenes, and truly captured the spirit of the rebels. The romance, I will talk about as a separate topic. It starts off slow, and the chemistry between them is minimal, but as it progresses it will hit you like an arrow (a reference). It is so intense and pure and overflowing in believability. Not going to lie, their romance has made me shed tears. It is definitely a drama to rewatch and will remain as one of the most memorable ones. This has been a powerful and emotional journey that will stay with me for a long time. I think it's very underrated, and if you're wondering whether to watch this, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do!

Leia Mais

no guitars pulled out in a college/campus thai bl???

the low reviews don't make sense to me since this was better than a lotttt of college thai bls i've watched (i've probably watched all of them) storywise it might've not been a great start cus it seemed too typical but I did not care since I started it not expecting much anyways...howeverrrrrr the more it went on the better it got...i really liked the main couple's relationship development they were adorable and the side couples' stories were also good....all of the actors had good chemistry and the acting was surprisingly good....it was just generally less cringe than ur average thai bl.....production wise it was not the best but it wasn't bad...overall if ur looking for something nonserious yet still enjoyable to watch u should watch this

Leia Mais

Honestly, when I read the synopsis of a mother that goes to high school, I thought this was going to be ridiculous and the story would be a comedy. I was absolutely wrong. Angry Mom is intense and takes a look at the darker side of human kind. It brings to light truths of school bullying and corruption under the exaggeration of a drama. The writer did a great job intertwining the lives of the characters and their individual stories while making each character necessary and building excellent character development. One angry mother starts a sequence of events to shine a light on the problems that every one else tries to ignore and/or cover up until she has rallied the help of teachers and other mothers alike. The best part is that the lead female character is strong while being emotional and conflicted on how to help her child. I absolutely love strong female leads.

Kim Hee Sun is perfect as loving and protective mom Jo Kang Ja as well as teenage friend Jo Bang Wool. I can't say enough about her acting. All of the actors were great from the young to the veteran actors. Regardless of Ji Soo's good looks, that boy can act. His emotional versatility as Go Bok Dong will take him a long way in the future. I look forward to seeing more of him. Kim Tae Hoon makes it easy and strangely sad to hate Do Jeong Woo. The person I felt the most conflict for was Kim Hee Won as Ahn Dong Chil. I wasn't sure what to think of him until the very end. I'm so glad the writer clears every thing up with him. His character was the link that held the story together. Besides the female lead, my favorite character is Go Su Hee as the quirky and totally lovable and ultimate best friend, Han Gong Joo. I adore her!!! I think the weak link is surprisingly Ji Hyun Woo as Park Noh Ah although I will say as the drama went on he got better. It may have been his character being that he seemed naive and weak that became stronger while remaining nice.

The music is really good.

I will probably rewatch this at some point.

I recommend this drama to everyone. It is really well written and acted,

Leia Mais

Horribly xenophobic and manipulative...

Oh god, where do I even begin???

Girls Planet started off very strong. My friend convinced me to watch this show and I immediately fell in love with all the girls and their talents (Hikaru in particular ♡). The performances began like any normal show, but this time with the unique premise of cells. One Korean girl, one Japanese girl, and one Chinese girl in each. Seeing them work together with their cultural differences in how they were raised and trained was a joy to watch...at first.

See, the thing about Korean shows is well...they're Korean. That's mainly where the problem stems from. As the episodes progress, you begin to get the feeling that something feels a bit off. That's because the show is wildly xenophobic. Once you reach a certain point in the show you'll begin noticing some key patterns within each group: the Japanese member is obsolete. Who even is that??? The Chinese girl is terrible. She has an absolutely AWFUL attitude or she's so overwhelmingly unskilled and selfish. And the Korean girl is AMAZING!!! She's so talented, she's final-group-ready. She is even skilled enough to help the Chinese and Japanese members, how kind of her!!! This is an ongoing "storyline" in each group. It's not even something that happens once or twice, it's ALL THE TIME. Not even exaggerating. I think it was the same exact thing for two entire episodes.

In that xenophobia lies another problem: voting manipulation. You may be wondering "how could they possibly have voting manipulation when they were caught from the Produce series???" and you're right. They probably didn't have direct manipulation, but oh man did they have MANIPULATION. Take the above scenario as an example. You now have a Japanese girl you don't know, a Chinese girl you hate, and a Korean girl who performed perfectly. Who are you going to vote for? Not only do you have that form of indirect manipulation, you also have screen time. Whenever I voted, I swear to you I recognized ALL the Korean girls and maybe 3-5 from Japanese and Chinese. It was no coincidence. Every scene, every praise, every moment was Korean! Korean! Korean! Don't even get me started on how the final votes were 50% KOREA, 50% THE REST OF THE FREAKING WORLD. YEAH, IT REALLY WAS. It's almost unbelievable how much they were able to get away with. It's actually offensive tbh.

So what about other aspects of the show besides the xenophobia? The mentors (or "masters" as they like to call it). Useless tbh, besides the dance instructors. However, other than choreographing for some songs (that they could've done without mentoring), none of them ever did anything except sit there and critique them. How come they never got up and gave them pointers??? How come the dance instructors never showed them how to perfect a move??? How come the vocal coaches never showed them how to sing properly??? Instead, you get a girl who practices to the point of straining her voice and the vocal coaches complain about her not being able to hit a high note :/// Sunmi and Tiffany were also just as useless. I enjoyed Tiffany's critiques, yet she barely got any screen time for some reason. Yeo Jingoo was the saving grace of this adult side of the cast. He did well as the MC and oftentimes made jokes with the girls, trying his best to genuinely bond with them. Even if the masters and the trainees bonded off-screen, how come they never give us a tiny glimpse of that?

Okay so xenophobia, useless mentors, what else? One of the most important parts of a survival show: personality. Yeah...little to none. They barely have any games, bonding exercises, or activities. There are a few more later on with less girls, but still the bare minimum. I could not tell you what most of the personalities on this show are like. Unless they're very expressive, like Wen Zhe or Hikaru, it's next to impossible to really know. You barely even know which members are close friends unless you stalk social media feeds. You should NOT need an outside source to be able to recognize friends in a survival show. One of the absolute worst offenses they committed on this show was not showing any of the eliminated girls. They never asked about their thoughts, showed the girls crying or hugging, or showed their wishes for the future. As sad as it is to see girls go, I usually enjoy getting to see their emotional final moments with their friends. It's touching to see them loving and supporting one another until they later show up in the finale. In this, I legit had to look online to see which girls got eliminated because they didn't give any of them screen time whatsoever. That's insane.

The last thing I wanted to talk about were the songs. This is one of the best parts of the show. They had quite good song selections (besides the sexual ones they made minors sing) and their original songs were pretty good. Snake was a real banger. The uniforms were super pretty as well, along with the sets and stages. Overall, the performances were really really good. Some are super memorable like Yes or Yes 1, Snake, Ice Cream, etc. Basically, anything with the girls themselves was fantastic. Everything else was big yikes.

And I am not blaming any of the girls at all for how poor this show is. All of them are extremely talented, hard-working, skilled, loving, sweet, gorgeous individuals that deserve to debut somewhere or some time. MNET just needs to stop. Someone please stop them for the sake of all Chinese girls who have a dream ://

In conclusion: save your precious freaking time.

Leia Mais

I think this drama started off strong, but lost steam as it went along. The ending episode was meandering and pointless, honestly. It had a happy ending, but was lackluster and bland. I think that if they had cut this show to 16/32 episodes instead of 20/40, they could have written a tighter story. There were some things that got lost in the story, some things that were never explained, and some things that dragged on way too long. The romance sizzled in the beginning and then flickered and died, and then when it rekindled, it was barely an ember. One thing that some people liked, but kind of annoyed me was the lighting in the show. Every time the main characters were about to have a real kiss - there was always this bright light shining between them. I guess it was supposed to be artistic? Once would have been plenty for that and it might have been ok, but it happened at least 3 or 4 times.

Most of the actors did a good job. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors and I love to watch the play of emotions on JCW's face. NJH is so earnest and sincere in her acting. Choi Tae Joon as Eun Hyuk was such a cutie pie and his awkwardness and his boyish charm and enthusiasm were fun to watch (this was my first show with him.) I wasn't really impressed with Nara or her character. She was bland and we didn't learn much about her. I thought Kim Ye Won was a scene stealer though! KYW as Ji Hye started off as an unlikable bully and a cheater, but she quickly became one of my favorite supporting actors in this show, and I kind of wished she had been the second female lead instead. I loved her snarky comebacks to Yoo Jung - she made me laugh a lot. And Dong Ha, as the villain Hyun Soo, did an amazing job. It's the first time I've seen him in anything that I recall, but he nailed his role.

The music was decent, nothing stand out, but appropriate.

I won't re-watch this. It was ok, but not one of the best I've seen. I think the longer run time severely hurt the pacing.

Leia Mais

A drama for serial killer fanatics

Netflix originals can always be a hit or a miss, but this was so good in my opinion. The only reason it's not a ten in my book is that there were a few things left unanswered/things I would've liked to delve more into. The acting was almost too good, to the point I was uncomfortable with some scenes. Now that being said this drama is not for those with a faint of heart!! It's super gory and has quite a few triggering scenes (animal murder, graphic murder, rape, etc) but what can you expect from a Netflix show. Now what surprised me the most was the amount of sex scenes in the show, and they were SUPER explicit, especially for a k-drama! Their was almost a sex scene in every episode, if not multiple in one episode ( I think one went on for like 7 minutes if not longer, which is pretty long for me lol) Maybe it's just because I'm not use to seeing those type of scenes in Korean dramas . The chemistry between the two leads was also sooooo good, I would definitely be pleased to see them in another work together. If you're looking for a good psychological thriller, with a really good plot then give this a try!

Leia Mais

As soon as I heard that Cheer Up! was going to be a drama based around cheerleading in a school that solely focuses on their students getting good grades, my excitement levels dropped. I would rather have school dramas not have any sport related themes and not use the excellent grades cliche. However, I was so very wrong. This drama went to so many deep levels that not many writers can do, and it became extremely influential and inspiring. This is was one of the best dramas this year to date (this is my opinion, so don't judge me) and I felt extremely attached to watching Cheer Up!.

The story was the only thing lacking in this drama, but not even by much. The only problem that occurred was that there was barely any cheerleading whatsoever. They used the sport as a background setting, and only ever included two performances in total (excluding the practice trials). But besides that, I want to thank the writers for so many things. For saving a perfectly salvageable villain who didn't understand any other way of dealing with her problems, for making the love triangle all so lovable and making me ship all three of them together with each other (yes, I shipped not only the end couple and the second-lead couple, but also the bromance), and for making all the characters so cherishable. And also, thank you for showing great character development with every single character, especially Seo Ha Joon and Kwon Soo Ah. I thought there couldn't be a single school drama that would beat Who Are You: School 2015, but here we are, half a year later, with an ever better school drama.

I think all of us can agree that the cast did a superb job, and all agree that when Ji Soo gets a role in another romance drama, he needs to win over the heart of his crush so all of his fangirls don't internally die. Anyway, Ji Soo did an amazing job and I felt so emotionally attached to his character. Angry Mom is a definite watch for me now. Moving on, Lee Won Gun. My new-found bias. I had previously watched his supporting role in Hyde, Jekyll, Me, but I never took much notice of his character as I always had my eyes on Hyun Bin. I never realized how well done his acting is. He is awesome, and my god, that smile of his! I found myself squealing every time he even so much as smirked. Anyway, Jung Eun Ji and N have definitely broken the idols-can't-act stereotype, and I am looking forward to watching more of their works. Finally, Chae Soo Bin. Her character was extremely irritable, but she was the first ever antagonist that I could never fully hate. Deep down, she was just a down-to-earth character who was trying to learn from her mistakes in the wrong way. And with that, Soo Bin had better rise to stardom very soon because she is a spectacular actress.

All of these soundtracks are just too lovable and I can't pick a favourite. There is Fly Like An Eagle, Rely, Shooting Star and Flower. They are all so amazing, I could listen to them all day long. Seriously, look up the playlist online and you can just sit there and listen to them.

Yes, oh god yes. I would do anything to have this series on disc so that I could carry it anywhere with me and just rewatch over and over again. Everyone has that one show that they could always watch, and Cheer Up! is one of them for me.

Overall, this drama was almost perfect, with only the flaw of not having enough cheerleading featured. Every single acting choice was amazing, the script and writing was brilliant, and the music is flawless. Please make more good quality school dramas like Cheer Up!.

Leia Mais

Don't do it. Just don't - no matter how cute you think it is.

No. Just no.
Please do yourself a favor. Do not watch this. You will be sucked in by the cute and the fluffy and the sweet! It will go on for about 13 and a half episodes and you will love it.

Then apparently the writer started smoking crack.

I've never been so angry about the ending of a drama in my life! The 5 stars is completely for the acting and the music and the 13.5 lovely episodes. (Although the writer still may have been a bit high writing all of it to be perfectly honest because at the end you realize how much nonsense is in this show. It was just hidden by the sweetness!)

And I couldn't even rage quit this show because by the time they have enraged you with what they've done --- boom! It's over. The last 3 minutes gave me a total rage fit. I was prepared for a sad ending - I sobbed for the SAD ending and then came to terms with it even though I hated the way it appeared they were going to end it. But this....this was just....wrong. So much wrong. They did those characters dirty. They did the audience dirty. They did those actors dirty.

Leia Mais

RUSTED SPOONS

The biggest flaw of the story is giving out way too many golden spoon, it kind of reduced the importance of an otherwise powerful selling point.

I will be honest. This is the first Yook Sung Jae series that I have completed (I tried his last show but i cant get past the second episode). This guy is handsome and has the acting chops to boot. Here, as Lee Seung Chun, he caught me in his trap from the very first episode. Something about his pain from being born poor felt effective and believable, and you want him to get out of his desperate situation even if it means somebody else will suffer in his place. As a viewer you'd want to give him the best too.

To be rich, he has to take the place of Hwang Tae Yong, who at first, seems like a despicable character. After a few episodes he managed to switch places, unfortunately for Seung Chun, it is not all greener on the other side as he found out that even the rich Tae Yong has his own personal challenges and demons of his own. Even more unfortunate for Seung Chun, Lee Jong Won's good performance as the new Seung Chun is even better than the original, that you cant help but root for him even more than Sung Jae.

Golden Spoon has managed to convey the rich versus poor comparison very well, albeit, they showed it in a way that poor is synonymous with good and rich is synonymous with evil.

We later found out that there was not only one but quite a few of these golden spoons, which, like I said in the beginning, kind of reduced the importance of the show's most powerful selling point. It felt like a lazy attempt to build the show's tension, to the point that when the last spoon user was revealed, it didnt have the imapct they hoped to create and my eyes just rolled up too high thought it left my skull. It was a waste of cameo from Na In Woo.

Has anyone noticedbhow the seemingly good hearted granny selling these golden spoons is nothing but a creepy Rumpelstiltskin-like character. She just doesn't give a sh*t if the spoon destroys lives, just as long as you buy the spoon. I would have wanted to see her true evil colors, and that she gives all those who used the spoons get what they deserve in return, which comes to that ending that I hated - Seung Chun should have been punished (or at least got the karma he deserved) but instead he got out almost unscathed and looks like he will manage to win the girl after all.

Overall, im still giving it an 8 out of 10. Would i rewatch? Probably not, although Im looking forward to seeing more of Yook Sung Jae and Lee Jong Won's other works.

Leia Mais

A really fun and enjoyable watch, must watch for people who enjoy this genre!

First thing first, I did come here for the trope of marriage (of convenience?) and I wanted to see them explore that relationship with their work and life. Sure, they had a nice relationship (I'm a fan) but I feel somehow misled by the synopsis and the few beginning episodes here because there is no marriage. I get it, they were practically married only but they were not. I was looking forward to something complex like say a break up (just an example), etc. Honestly, maybe that's why this is not a perfect 10 for me because this is not what I expected going in.

But facts be facts, what we do get in actuality is absolutely beautiful and amazing. This show has given me three of the healthiest relationships or approaches to a relationship (with the best friend) I've seen in Cdramas for a very very long time. Nobody is perfect and neither were our characters here. I was pissed with Xiao Ning for the blind date, I have been mad at Yu Heng for his absolutely poor communication skills and Rao Jing came off as very offensive at first. But how the show slowly unpacks all these characters, their quirks and individualities is beyond amazing. I have enjoyed watching the relationship develop between our leads and how they've constantly supported one another, resolved their issues like mature adults and maintained their work-life balance. Similarly, Rao Jing and Zhao Fang have given me some of the most hilarious moments in this show and their banter is really fun to watch. They complement each other perfectly and it's nice to see how ZF helps RJ heal her wounds. Lastly, for the best friend, I loved the mature take on the relationship. I agreed 100% that neither of them was wrong and for them to acknowledge that and face reality needs strength. Sometimes you just need to prioritise yourself and your own morals/dreams/desires. All in all, we see three healthy relationships where they tackle issues instead of running from them.

The other aspect I quite enjoy is how they've not shown women as these pseudo-intellectuals. We finally have female friendships where their advice to one another is well thought out, practical and actually helpful - instead of being super toxic. Also how none of the women overstepped their boundaries and gave the leads (in their respective stories) the decision-making power without influencing them. I liked this mature and more realistic take on friendship. No one really has the time to gossip with friends every day after a tiring day at work and no, you do not let your friends dictate every single step you take in a relationship - good on them for portraying that!

Another thing - usually shows with 32 episodes become a drag. I did not feel that way with this one. The story flew very nicely and coherently and not much felt like it was out of place. I'm someone who likes business plots, so I've enjoyed the business aspect, team bonding, and how they worked together as well.

I also think all the actors have done really well in their roles. Xiao Han made me despise her character and the parents were entertaining to watch. Everyone has worked well!

Overall, this is a really great show with a good storyline (though misleading), a nice soundtrack, brilliant acting and a good pace. I've not seen Karlina's works before and I have to say, I've become a fan. She's so stunning and good at her work. You should definitely give this one a try, it'll be worth your time!

Leia Mais

Alright,
This is my first review of a series in months and boy, am I happy that it is with Bad Buddy, that was the perfect reintroduction into the world of BLs I took an unexpected break after Manner of Death. I felt a lot of things while I watched Bad Buddy, so I would break down my review into parts. To the best of my abilities, I would avoid giving you any spoilers in this review.
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes, Specific Issues
3. Story arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value

INTRODUCTION
When I heard about Bad Buddy, I was excited because of Ohm and Nannon, I mean you could give them the most basic story possible, and I would still love the show because I like that much. But however Bad Buddy really came from west field to become one of GMM’s best BLs ever, competing with the best of them all (they for certain have one of the best GMM kisses hands down, I mean episode 5 kiss was top tier). In a lot of places, the storyline stayed safe and a little bit basic, but this did not take away from the overall enjoyability of the series in the least bit, heck I think it enhanced it further.
Coming into Bad Buddy, expect a lighthearted series, with a lot of fluffiness and cute flirting, a little bit of irritation from side characters (Wai walks in) and surprisingly, girls love side theme, which I very much loved about the show. But what stuck with me the most was how this series tackled stereotypes, I would handle this more under my general review, but I would just say this is what you get when a queer person directs a show, you get actual good content not based on exaggerated stereotypes. An example of this is the fact that Pran was the top in this relationship, I mean even I as a gay person lowkey started to fall into that stereotype of what a top should look like or be like.
So Bad Buddy really is that series that hit a lot of the right cords with me. Into the review we move now.

GENERAL REVIEW, THEMES, SPECIFIC ISSUES
1. Tackling Stereotype: I absolutely loved how bad buddy came for Thai BLs necks in this series, like they brought all their legs over fire, and I think that was one of the major themes of this series that it tackles so many stereotypes.
a. “I AM NOT GAY, I LIKE ONLY YOU”: You know in previous Thai BL series, it has always somehow seemed like they were scared to say the words “I am gay”, which Pat and Pa make fun of it in the episode where it became public that they were together. Not only did they acknowledge Bisexuality as a legit orientation, not that you just randomly fall in love with that one guy and no one else. They also introduced the possibility of Pran being gay, simple, and short. I love that because that is something GMM has lost me on for the past few years, like YOU CAN JUST SAY THEY ARE GAY OR BISEXUAL, IT WOULDN’T HURT YOU
b. “HUSBAND AND WIFE”: I love that they also addressed how weird it is that Thai BLs over the past few years have insisted on having this tag this is my “wife”, to refer to the person who is more likely to be the bottom (TharnType, I see you). When Pran called out Pat to realize how stupid it was to say “wife” and “husband” in a gay relationship, try to make a gay relationship heteronormative doesn’t make sense.
c. Another stereotype they handled, that ironically, I felt into this too, was the concept of a clear identified bottom and top in a gay relationship based on some physical traits and qualities. I wouldn’t lie it reminded me that we cannot just assume who the top in relationship and we fall into a dangerous pattern of profiling the LGBT+ community should be against as a community
2. The kisses and Fluffiness: if you have watched Bad Buddy then you would know that they now hold the crown for the best GMMTV kiss and now ranks in the upper echelon of BL kisses alongside MaxTul, TharnType, KinnPorsche, The History Franchise and My Day. I mean so many things about the series was right, but nothing gets me better than a kiss well executed, not disgusting, not looking like they were afraid to kiss or anything like that. So, they got me there
3. Shoving Ohm’s/Pat’s Package in our faces: why did I make this more than once😂😂😂😂😂 and at that point it was becoming a pattern and thus a theme. Like I am a hundred percent certain that someone in production intentionally did this, probably thought to themselves to rile up the fans a little bit. And I mean we are ever grateful for it, in the most non-perverted way possible
4. Social Media: So, this was not so much a major theme, but I loved a part of the series where Pat kept posting secret pictures of him and Pran, when Pran asked him, he was like “social media is for bragging”, I liked this because it kind off addresses a lot of the flaws that our society has come to be especially in the era of social media. But like I said this wasn’t a major theme, just something I noted on the side.
5. FRIENDSHIP: You know I got two contrasts of friendship in this show. The first were Pat’s friendship in this show, I mean there were Pat’s friends, especially Korn who were the ideal idea of what a friend should be, he was cool when everything came out about Pat and Pran, supported them and everything. Wai on the other hand is a plain b*tch about it, I mean outing your friend, I don’t care how angry you are, you don’t just do somethings.
On a closure of general review, I liked all the components that came together to make this show, I don’t think it could have been any better this.

STORY ARC AND STORYLINES
I liked the trajectory of this show, they didn’t waste time on some areas in terms giving us unnecessary scenes. What we basically get is two boys who have been trained to hate each other right from birth, overcome tons of obstacles and find their way towards each other. They show us that love is something you can control, it could be towards even your worst of enemies. The story is one of love, fluffiness, overcoming obstacles to be together.
The story had a few lessons like
1. We don’t and we can never control who we love, either in terms of sexual orientation or the person themselves. It really is an uncontrollable phenomenon of nature
2. The way we interact with our friends really matters. Because it can really make or break a person. An example is the fact no one in their friend group picked up that they were dating
I loved the story overall

CHARACTERS, CASTING AND ACTING
I love the characters, while they were core characters that make up the entire story, I love how they tried their best to give each character a little bit of something, they did not always succeed but it was great though, I love that they had 3D characters, no caricatures of characters though I wish they did more with some characters.
Alright I would take this character by character and how well I believe the casting fit and I would start in order of how well I liked the character.
The character I love the most was Korn, that man gave me so much joy, like he was so stupid and supportive, I loved him every bit for it. If we are being honest, we all know that Korn was the Captain of PranPat ship and no one will take it from him. Like I love that Drake was casted for this because I have come to realize it seems Drake always kills it as a side character. In this show he particularly brought out the essence of Korn. He was simply my overall favorite character, the part he particularly sold me was after he was an ass to Pat for dating Pran and didn’t allow Pat stay with them, when he brought food for Pat, I thought to myself, what a loveable fool😂❤️😂❤️😂❤️
Then Pat was next. I absolutely loved Ohm as Pat, I mean Pat is somehow dense and foolish, he moves with the flow (case in point how fast he accepted that he was in love with Pran) but he always had good intentions (him willing to pretend he broke with Pran so that Wai would talk to Wai again, I mean if that is not the epitome of love). Pat’s character was executed so well I absolutely loved it,
Then there was Pran, I don’t think I need to say much under Pran, except he gave us all the perfect vibes of Tsundere, a tsundere that was always in love with the other person. You know I loved that Nannon could capture all the emotions Pran was feeling in his eyes, which basically made his acting and character all the much better for me. He gave me the conflict of love but understanding the societal position they had and trying to create a balance between the two.
PaInk, it was nice to get a girls love theme in this. I mean I came to this for the BL, but who am I to say no to a good GL side story.
WAI…. NEVER IN MY HISTORY OF WATCHING BL HAS A CHARACTER MADE ME AS MAD ABOUT THEIR EXISTENCE LIKE WAI… LIKE DUDE WAS SO ANNOYING AND HE KEPT OVERDOING IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOST IT WHEN HE OUTED THEM, LIKE WHAT???????????????? I DON’T CARE WHAT PRAN DID TO YOU, EXCEPT HE KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO OUT HIM, HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL YOURSELF HIS BESTFRIEND???? You know what, I don’t want to say anything further on Wai.
The friends and Parents, honestly, I was lowkey indifferent about them. I just felt they were all childish.
I think overall, the core 5 or 6 characters showed a little bit of depth, that they were thought out to some extents and to make us understand that humans are complex 3 dimensional people, we dong just fit into a one for all box... Though I wish they did more with side characters sometimes but it's fine

MISSES
I want to say Bad Buddy had no misses but one thing I was confused about, was the concept that their seniors in Architecture and Engineering asked them to boycott their friends just because they were dating someone from a different faculty. I mean the math was not mathing for me.
But there was no miss to this show that was detrimental though.

PRODUCTION
The production and direction of this was awesome to me, the fact that it didn’t feel rushed or forced at any point in time. I loved that about the show . The Pacing was generally okay, so I do not seriously have any issues with them.


REWATCH VALUE
I WOULD ABSOULTELY REWATCH THIS… EVEN TODAY


OVERALL
This was a series that was made with a purpose and they executed perfectly I am so grateful to everyone who was a part of this movement because you truly took us on a beautiful journey, one I would never forget, you made me care for people, made me happy, made me laugh, cry with someone in their pain if that is not arts at its best I don’t know what is.

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Must watch film!

"The Paradise of Thorns" is a powerful depiction of Thai society's deep-seated issues, with a particular focus on marriage inequality. The film excels in its storytelling, blending intense drama with cultural commentary. The acting is superb, bringing the characters' struggles and emotions to life in a way that feels both genuine and compelling. Coupled with some of the best cinematography in recent Thai cinema, the film creates a visually stunning yet thought-provoking experience. The film's original soundtrack beautifully complements the emotional depth of the story, enhancing the overall impact of the narrative. It's an exceptional piece of filmmaking that resonates on multiple levels, making it the best Thai film for me.

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