Reviews

i don't rely on reviews but, “this one deserves all the love it can get.” so i had to do one

HERE ME OUT. I NEED HUGS. THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

i’m so happy i decided to watch this. i don’t usually enjoy dramas that focus solely on female independence because many tend to portray it as mere reckless underdeveloped character. but this one? hands down, THE BEST. it made me laugh. it made me CRY buckets. but in the best way possible. every little thing was perfectly executed.

they managed to capture the quiet struggles of womanhood—how societal norms can feel like an invisible cage, limiting women despite their ambitions. the female lead defies expectations, not through reckless rebellion, but with grace, intelligence, and resilience.

and the ml? a WHOLE GREEN FOREST. not a trace of fragile masculinity. such a rare gem. never once threatened by the fl’s independence—he respects it, genuinely. “he knows exactly when to step in and when to hold back, making decisions with careful consideration. he’s gentle, not because he’s passive, but because he understands her deeply—reading her in a way that feels truly intimate. this trait itself isn’t rare, but what is rare is his unwavering consistency in staying true to his values. and with this, he unintentionally creates a warmth of comfort—a place you’d seek refuge in. you feel safe, not just because of words, but because his actions stand as proof.

this is not just a story, but a mirror to reality. i feel for those who have read the novel because the writing is just as IMPACTFUL. i’ve saved so many screenshots of lines that tugged at my heartstrings.

PLEASE WATCH THIS. it’s a must. you’ll come to understand the different struggles of being a woman in a world orchestrated by men. maybe i resonated with it so deeply because i’ve watched my own mother suffer—belittled by relatives, by my father, by friends, all to protect their own pride at her expense.

this drama gets it.

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Douglas Adams rotates in his grave....

The answer of this "BL" is not 42. For me it's a very generous 3 :)

First, the over-acting and the "cat" actors are neither cute nor good. It's just hardcore cringe. How someone can give this a 10 is beyond me... It has no substance, no develeopment AND most importantly there is no real romance involved. It's a Bromance and the real thing the main character loves is the food. The production itself is ok, but it's very low budget even for Thai standards. The best of this series are the BTS in the credits.

If I had not a migraine yesterday it can get you one... Overall, if you like BLs avoid it, it's not worth your time.

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When writing a BL novel changes the family

Before anything else, let me point out that this is NOT a BL.
This drama's focus is on a journey through a time of growth -- in this case, it's the grandfather and the grandson, along with their family members, who try to save their orphanage; it just happens to have a few gay characters (and one confused character).
Along the way, the series picks up a few topics that are currently discussed in Thai society -- That there is some romance is more coincidental than central.

So, those who are interested ONLY in BL romance series should give this one a miss.
However, if you're willing to follow the story of a family of multiple generations through troubled times, who push through by doing things they would have not done normally, and who learn and grow because of it, then I fully recommend this drama.

The script is written extremely well -- the plot flows smoothly from one point to the next. Problems are -- although enhanced for tension -- never too "out there", and characters don't react dramatically, but rather like *people*. The characters are well-defined from the get-go, and the following character development makes sense.

The titular characters, their relationship with each other and their own journey -- both grandfather and grandson are mentioned in the Thai title -- get, of course, the most screen time and the most character development. Grandfather Sak starts out as the typical (Thai) traditional patriarch, who might care for his family but thinks he has to be strong and flawless as well as strict with his sons at all times, and learns to let his family take on part of the responsibility, learns to show weakness and, most importantly, learns to accept his sons the way they are. Grandson Save's story is a more common coming-of-age story; with a light twist in that he doesn't just grow up to be a responsible adult family member but also that he learns things about himself that he had never thought of before.
The development is gentle, but by intention not smooth: It has fits and starts, stalls occasionally -- just as it happens in real life.

The family dynamics are introduced step by step -- at first they just seem like an ordinary family of four generations that share a house, and then slowly we get to know and love their kindness, their flaws, their struggles, and their love for each other. Which is why when the reason for the uneasiness that occasionally pops up in early episodes gets revealed later, it hits much harder.

What is a bit unfortunate is that the children and the great-grandmother get only a minuscule bit of plot for themselves. I do understand the need for a focus on few sub plots but I would have loved to know more about the kids and about great-grandmother's own story. Maybe we can get a spin-off?

The plot is, for the lack of a better word, a slice-of-life, that refuses to collapse into soap opera, even though some plot points would make a weaker writer yield to temptation. Instead, in these moments, it gentles the tension -- by having a character accepting the inevitable, or neatly side-stepping the huge fallout by giving into the big emotions.

The actors as well as the directors follow the understated way of dealing with these big emotions -- they get as much room as they need to, but no more than that.
All of these elements combined make for a drama that feels very grounded, even as the emotions hit hard at the same time, especially in episodes 8 to 10. And by this I mean that Yes, it made me cry. More than once.

In all of this, as well as in its overall style, it is a very typical Thai PBS production.
Which means it comes as no surprise that it also touches on contemporary issues like scams, health issues in age, gender roles, to name a few, as well as a call for mutual respect between generations.
The most prominent issue is the acceptance of gay men and of gender non-conforming people by their family members -- how what we are taught in childhood still influences what we believe in adulthood, but also that there's a chance of changing your beliefs.
Another point, one that I found very interesting and think would deserve its own series, is how BL (dramas and novels) are still considered "lesser" than other, more traditional genres. And I find it quite fascinating that it's specifically compared to adventure novels here, which don't have the best reputation for quality themselves (at least here in Germany they don't).

Overall, this is an excellent production in terms of writing, directing, editing and acting. Done in the typical Thai PBS style, it's made to appeal to an audience of different ages with a goal to educate Thai viewers for the 21st century.
There are a few things to nitpick (like the fact that all children at the orphanage are all of approximately the same age), but in the greater context, these become insignificant.
The drama has a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve, and in my view, it did.

I have no reservation at all to recommend this to anyone who is willing to follow a story about a family with flawed characters, who struggle through a time of confusion.

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Based on the manga of the same name, A World That Definitely Becomes BL VS A Man Who Definitely Doesn't Want to Be in BL is about exactly what it says on the tin. A meta commentary on Boys' Love works, wherein every character is somehow gay and gorgeous, Mob exists as a character who is always in the background and has no intention of getting in on the action. Even someone who may not be 100% familiar with the tropes that are highlighted in this short run series is bound to enjoy the comedy of watching Mob carefully rearrange his life so that he can avoid being alone with cute boys, or helping cute boys up from the sidewalk drunk, or helping someone to fall in love with him. In his attempts to avoid all of the BL tropes Mob forgets that he is, in fact, a BL trope.

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A Story That is Better Than Most

This is the kind of BL series I want.
No toxicity, no 3rd party, no fake friends, no complicated story line, just pure love with each character., and the conflict between them. To me, the whole story revolves around one simple line - "Have A Safe Flight." Misunderstandings and two persons, one who lacks trust and one who cannot express his feelings.

The cast is excellent, the two main characters both very good looking, have the ability to convey their feelings through their expressions. I binge watched and was never bored, never felt the need to fast forward through any scenes.

If I have any complaints; lack of realistic kiss scenes. Honestly, when I watch a bl series fake kisses are a bit of a turn-off. My rating would have been a 10 if the kiss scenes were more realistic. Still, the series is one I will watch again someday.

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It's not fancy, but it's weirdly addictive.

This drama reminds me of eating an entire bag of potato chips in one sitting.

First you're like "meh i'll pass, i'm cool." But there's nothing else to snack on and they're just sitting right there staring you down, so you think "ok i'll have a few." And it's not like if someone asks you your 10 favorite foods that potato chips would be on that list. They ok. But you eat a few, and you just want a few more, and a few more, and before you know it you're like "THERE'S STILL SOME CRUMBS" and you're eating chip crumbs with your fingers like 'what am i even doing rn',

Well that's this drama. In most ways we normally describe shows, this is mid. The costumes, sets, acting, plot premise, production quality, bgm/ost... mid, mid and mid. But there's something so addictive about the SCRIPT, and the PACING. And on top of that, all the supporting characters with significant screentime are really handsome and gorgeous. ML and FL are too. The enemies and villains are given only as much screen time as necessary to fulfill their obligation to the plot. I wish more directors and producers would take note of that.... but anyway I digress....

My point here really is that this might not be the best thing ever, but if you start it, you're probably gonna finish it, because there's face cards everywhere, and the storyline and dialogue just flow in such a comfortable way that it's all too easy to just watch another ep and then another and another.

But just like eating an entire bag of chips, this doesn't truly satisfy. The show spends most of it's episodes with an emotional tone that's just a mellow flow of ups and downs. But then the final episodes take quite a strange turn and suddenly the emotional tone shifts very dramatically to "so, that happened..." You get something pretty different than what you bargained for, and... much like a bag of chips... you finish it and then say to yourself "why did I do that." And you're still hungry. Just not for chips.

It's a good way to pass the time if you have nothing else to watch, but I can't think of anyone I would recc this to. Spiceless, a lot of B and C tier acting performances by key characters, odd and fairly unpleasant ending (though it technically counts as an HE I guess???) Worth a bored, one-time watch if you straight up ran out of shows to watch.

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Gel nails, Airdrops, Blackpink and Teenage Angst

While these boys and their crushes and rejections had them peeing themselves on zoom calls, mine had me saving someone son’s name as ‘Psalms 45:2’ on my phone. Also, these boys had me out here frustrated and stressed. Cuz: Fou4Mod is in love with Chian, who is in love with Bua, who is in love with Baabin, who is in love with Fou4Mod, who is in love with Chian. It was a love circle and it gave me a headache. Let me explain.

The CRUSH CIRCLE OF GELBOYS.
Chian—>Bua—>Baabin—>Fou4Mod—>Chian

See, a love square. Everyone had a crush on someone who didn’t like them back. Children please put that phone down and see the life happening in front of you. But of course, that would have been too easy, and there wouldn't have been any drama. No, but really, this whole show was a giant headache of stress and idiots in love. I was stressing for someone to shut up and be with someone, so we'd have some peace. Then of course, all the nonsense ended with Chian—>Fou4Mod & Baabin—>Bua. People, I could have told you this family tree weeks ago. All that teenage angst and for what?

These boys, oh these gelboys. Was having a crush ever that serious? YES, yes it was, and I'm sure we all understand why. Most of us have been there: Crying your eyes out at 2am to a sad song while going through their socials, stalking them in person and online, the panic when you see them and you aren't prepared, the stress of what to wear on days you know you’d see them, the delulu scenarios you make in your head to love songs, then the absolute pain and heartbreak when your crush announce their dating Janet from Class B. Like, what does Janet have? Sure she looks good in lipgloss and her hair always does that thing, but… whhhhhy Psalms 45:2 why you didn’t love me back when in my head we married to a Taylor Swift song???

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, although all these 4 characters should pay your decision is dumb taxes, having been in their shoes and understanding the angst that is being a teenager, I don't blame them. I'm actually surprised they figured it out in the end and everyone went where they were supposed to be, and those who needed to apologise did, and those who needed closure got theirs too. Me, I'm still stalking Psalms 45:2 on instagram. Janet's hair still does the thing... love that for her, but also not.

Fou4Mod
This boy broke his own heart over and over again. He knew he was being kept on the hook, knew Chian was in love with Bua, but still he went ‘ah, it’s fine let’s be whatever’ and then made a whole delulu relationship out of it, thinking it would turn real. And the whole time, my arse was like: 'This aint disney honey, that frog aint gonna turn into a prince'. Then of course he decided to hurt two innocent people for his own selfish reasons, poor Baabin and Faifa did not deserve what he did to them. Did I feel sorry for him, yes, cuz we all do stupid things when our heart is involved, but really, most of the problems he had were caused by himself, so at the end of the day he deserved some of the hurt. I'm glad he wised up in the end, put himself first until he was ready to give Chian a fair chance.

Chian
Yes, at some point everyone hated him for how he treated Fou4Mod but he was honest about where his heart was, sure he led Fou4Mod on, but he was also being kept on the hook and looking for a way to heal his broken heart, so really can we fault him for everything that went wrong? He did learn in the end, when he lost Fou4Mod and saw that he’d been stupid. It was good on him that he kept fighting and waiting after knowing his true feelings. I also felt bad for him at some point, and after he came around, was okay he ended up with Fou4Mod. Frankly would have been fine either way.

Baabin
Poor boy had me wiping pixelated tears from my screen during that episode when he got his heart completely shattered. No, baby was so sad. That scene broke me, made me form a protect Baabin squad, only to immediately regret it when he started putting Bua on the hook as well. Like, that was not on the bingo card child, reset. The whole time I was like: 'boy if you don’t stop your nonsense and love Bua back this instant, dafug you mean all that meant nothing?' No, but our kind-hearted baby immediately denounced Bua when Fou4Mod started his ugly crying, dude??? But I can’t fault him, the heart wants what it wants, so…

Super glad he later explained his reason, that yes he liked Bua back, of course he did, but he kept denying his feelings cuz Fou4Mod didn't like Bua and he didn't want to hurt his friend's feeling. Glad Fou4Mod came around on Bua, and was happy for Baabin, it's what those two deserves. If they hadn't end up together, I'd have been a bit sad.

Bua
I never blamed this dude for not liking Chian back. And after learning about his family situation I understood him more. He’s deprived of attention at home, and Chian gave him some, so of course he didn’t want to lose that. I don’t know about you, but you can get jealous when your friends get new friends and you start feeling like you are losing them. Yes, he was wrong for keeping him on the hook, but I felt so sad for this boy the last two episodes like... no honey, if he don't like foreigners with blue eyes and brown hair, it's alright, I don't like his stupidity either. In the end, I was glad he said his peace, and Baabin came to his senses, cuz if I had to see these 4 characters cried more ugly tears I'd have rioted.

Listen, the overall matter is that, all these 4 characters were wrong and right at one point, none of them were saints or completely green. But given that they were teenagers dealing with first loves and whatnot, I don't fault them for being dumb and downright mean in some cases. Now they’ve experience it, and they are more wiser for it. I hope.

I knew the very moment I finished episode 1 that this drama was going to be a favourite of mine. Everything from how it was filmed and directed, the documentary feel of it, to the cast, to the music, to the script made me enjoy it a lot. Sure it was very relatable and made me remember some stupid mistakes I made not so long ago, but I enjoyed it for that reason too. The way this was filmed put us right there in the moment with the characters, it felt so raw, and I liked that a lot. Look at that, Thai bls finally giving us something new to gosh over after a long time. Kudos director-nim.

Anywho, great show, the best out of Thailand this year so far. Looking forward to seeing more work from the 4 leads in the future. I recommend this to all bl lovers, and those who loved the director's previous work, it's worth a watch. Be warn though, it's teenage stupidity and angst in full force.

For anyone wondering...Psalms 45v2...: 'You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.'

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This drama is like 30% romcom, 20% melo & 50% outlandish school life plot. I liked the cheesy romcom, I accepted the melo, but I absolutely hated the school life part. I consider myself very tolerant, when it comes to kdrama logic, or fiction in general, but this was just really really bad. Starting with the 27 years old guy goes back to school to get revenge, then moving onto the "let's save the school" plot & all the other various events that happen at school, it's just a plain terrible script, or at least it is bad from an adult viewer's perspective. Maybe the target audience is 14-16 years old kids, for them this drama might have been a lot more fun, I don't know. I didn't buy Seho's character development either, it's not believable to me. Some positive points to note are like the chemistry between the main leads, or that the writers didn't make the triangle too annoying, the OST is quite okay, also Boa is like the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

(I have no problem with the slice of life in a school setting genre in general, this drama specifically is just below average)

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Steamy Fun, Zero Plot, All Chemistry!

Wow 😳 First time I’ve seen a BL series with intense NC in every episode. Honestly, the creativity every week had me eagerly waiting for the next drop! 🔥 Who doesn’t love a little heat mixed with their drama? 😏

What plot? 😂 After 12 weeks, we still don’t even know what the characters actually do at the office. Are they working, or are they just... distracted by their growing feelings? 😂 Just a bunch of horny workers navigating their emotions, and honestly, I’m here for it. Sometimes you don’t need a deep plot to enjoy something—this series is so silly in the best way. I laughed and cringed at the same time, loving every moment. 🙌

The dynamic between Jun (the mischievous intern) and Sorn (the serious, no-nonsense guy) is pure chaos in the best way. Jun’s pranks? Iconic. Sorn’s reactions? Hilarious. The slow-burn tension between them? Unbeatable. 💖

Episode 1 - The outdoor handjob scene in the first episode? So intense and full of chemistry—it was a perfect start to a wild ride. 😳🔥

Episode 2 - first ten minutes blew everything out of the water — the heat was absolutely palpable. Jun sliding onto Sorn’s lap, the teasing lip kiss, the slow-burning music, and the pink and purple haze created a scene dripping with seduction. It delivered one of the most electrifying and provocative kisses I’ve seen in a long time. Jun’s innocent belief that Sorn was merely “teaching” him how to kiss made the moment even more sinful, especially with Sorn savoring every second with unmistakable hunger. The first ten minutes of Episode 2 didn’t just maintain the tension — it turned it into a smoldering fire. The plot might be wild and utterly ridiculous, but honestly, I’m completely addicted.

Episode 6 - After watching Episode 6, one thing’s clear: Jun is not innocent. At all. 😈
First, the couch scene — he could’ve sat anywhere, yet he deliberately chose to sit right in front of Sorn, between his legs. The tension? Palpable. That wasn’t just casual — that was silent seduction. 🛋👀
Second, the infamous banana car scene 🍌🚗 —
These were his actual lines:

Jun:
“Want my banana?”
“It’s a big one though.” 😏
“Perfect in my hand.”
“Big, juicy bite.” 👅

Then, without missing a beat, he peels the banana slowly… locks eyes with Sorn… and takes a long, deliberate bite. 🔥

Sorn:
“Can’t you eat like a normal person?” 😵‍💫
Let’s be honest — Jun knows exactly what he’s doing.
He’s not innocent — he’s dangerously seductive, and he’s loving every second of it.

Will it win awards for intricate storytelling? Probably not. But did it give me 12 weeks of pure entertainment and laughs? Absolutely! And I will always come back here to re watch all the NC scenes.

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Barbenheimer Couple✨

Is he just a Ken? NO, he's the Barbie and she's just a Ken 🤣✋🏼 Mobster? WHO? Man goes on mute mode whenever he's with the FL. Peak girlboss energy.

Here's the story: Seo Ji Hwan is the CEO of a company named "Thirsty Deer," run by ex-convicts. Eun Ha, on the other hand, is a YouTube content creator for kids. Their paths cross, leading to a series of misunderstandings and embarrassing moments🤣

Seo Ji Hwan is such a simp, and I love him for it! 🤣 He's always protecting everyone in his company like they're family, and those wholesome moments with his brother? Pure gold✨

Eun Ha is naive but not a plain old damsel in distress. I love her caring and loving personality, and she still has that strong, fierce side💪

Their love story is so cute and cringey and well put out down honestly. It's slow, they are hesitant, awkward yet so respectful, communicate so softly with each other and it is so natural that no one is chasing anyone they both develop their feelings gradually grow over time.

But the second lead? Ugh, soooo annoying! I skipped through most of his scenes. Man wants to be FL's daddy but acts like her father. 🤡 Why does he make choices for her and decide what's right or wrong for a grown-up adult? It's beyond me 🙏🏻

✅ The chemistry between the leads and their relationship had just the right amount of angst to keep me hooked!
✅ Loved the brother-in-law and Eun Ha's bonding moments!
✅ All the events they put together were super cutesy and fun, like a feel-good montage!
✅ The ML's in action scenes?! dang, i wish we had more scenes, such a versatile actor!
✅ The conversations were well-written and felt so natural.
✅ Personally I liked the SL couple! Their mature romance was like a breath of fresh air, so intriguing!

❌ The prosecutor? Totally unnecessary. Plus, why does he act like he's part of the police force? 😂
❌ The whole gangster subplot was a snoozefest. I couldn't care less and definitely couldn't take them seriously! 🤣

Overall, it has its fair share of clichés and melodrama, but with that nostalgic old romance vibe. It’s a feel-good, heartwarming rom-com that I’d definitely recommend! Hehehe!

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Lots of plot holes,
Main actor is too bad and uncaring to the women he claims to love and care for, with no remorse,yet doesn't suffer the consequences for his actions,
Every one manipulates everyone for personal gain even their loved ones, except for two lead females,
Second lead seamed to have a better ending but was all a lie ,she didn't deserve that terrible ending,
Finished with a cliffhanger, ending of a lot of casts not explained, the evil people had very good ending.
I don't recommended watching this drama, wastage of time.
From now you better review the ending and other comments before wasting your time to watch such a drama.

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I have never read the novel that this was based on, so I don't know how faithful it is in regards to the story.

The story in the movie is good, interesting and although not a fast paced movie, the pace fits the story. This version seems a little darker than the drama series The Painter of the Wind.

The actors were mostly ok. Shin Yun Bok played by Kim Gyu Ri, was really well done. She managed to convey all the conflicting emotions of her character quite well. You could see within her the joy she had for painting, the pain and guilt she carried with her from her family, and the odd mixture of innocence and experience.
The other actors did well with their characters, but due to the limitations of time, most of the other characters were pretty flat.
I really disliked the portrayal of Kim Hong-Do, her mentor. Kim Nam-Gil had no subtlety in his portrayal. He went from nothing to all, out of no where (Sorry, I can't explain that more without spoilers). Park Shin Yang did a much better job with this role in the drama series The Painter of the Wind.

The music went very well with the movie, it swirled in the background like a brush on canvas.

I would also note that this movie is quite sexually explicit, and definitely not for younger viewers, though I thought that most of the sex scenes were relevant to the plot, so not completely gratuitous.

Overall, if you want to see this story I think I would recommend The Painter of the Wind as a better choice. The series is a piece of artwork in itself, with sweeping cinematography, breathtaking music, and outstanding works of art. The characters are richer and fuller, and the story is all encompassing and not quite as dark. However if you don't have time to commit to the drama and just want a quick movie, this is fine.

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Great Actors, Bad Writing

I want to start with that the show actually started out really strong but declined a lot because of bad writing and scene balancing. I understand that they wanted to emphasize on the victims and families and not the police work but the priorities and balancing of scenes were still very off. Like I was waiting for them to solve that main case and then we got no reunion in the end??? Instead we had so many boring and way too long scenes of side characters that added nothing to the overall story. Like sorry, but after the 10th times of watching the villain drinking his wine for literally minute after minute of precious screentime, I know by now that he is an alcoholic. Why don't give this time to the actual "main character" to give them more depth? And yes, I'm using quotes cuz both of them could have benfitted from way more screentime. I'm especially angry about how bad the interrogation scenes were handled writing wise. They were written by someone who did not do their homework about interrogations.... anyway...

That being said, every actor was really good, despite the writing flaws!!! Especially Zhang Jian Xin.... just wow. I cried a few times because it was really touching. Just from watching the trailer and also seeing the cover, I had different expectations of the series. I was sad that Jin Shijia barely had screen time and that his character barely had any story. I guess coming from “Under the Skin” I had higher expectations, especially towards the story writing. But it was still lovely to see him, even if his character was mostly used as pretty background decoration T_T (like seriously guys, you cast him and then not use this brilliant actor? why?) When he had scenes though, he was brilliant as always. So yeah acting wise the show had a lot to offer, but the writing... oof. I also appreciated that there was no romance! We need more strong female leads with no romance story! (but give them more screentime!)

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