Reviews

Review: Duang With You — A Masterpiece of Love, Healing, and Quiet Strength

There are shows you watch, and then there are shows you live through.
Duang With You is the latter.

From the very first episode to its final moments, this series proves that great storytelling isn’t about rushing to a climax—it’s about taking the time to let emotions breathe, characters grow, and love unfold naturally.

What makes Duang With You truly exceptional is its ability to balance tones so effortlessly. It’s a rom-com, yes—but beneath the humor and lighthearted chaos lies something much deeper. The series carries melodrama, trauma, healing, and emotional vulnerability with such care that nothing ever feels exaggerated or forced. Every laugh is earned, and every tear feels real.

At the heart of the story are Duang and Qin—two characters written with incredible depth and brought to life through phenomenal acting and direction.

Duang is, without exaggeration, one of the most memorable characters in bl history. He is funny, expressive, chaotic, and sometimes adorably annoying—but beneath all that is a person with unwavering emotional strength. His love is not loud in a demanding way, but steady and patient. He doesn’t love to receive—he loves to give. And more importantly, he loves without conditions.

Qin, on the other hand, carries a quiet, heavy pain. His past—marked by emotional neglect and abuse—shapes the way he sees the world and relationships. The series does not rush his healing, nor does it simplify his trauma. Instead, it allows us to witness his journey slowly: the hesitation, the walls, the fear of vulnerability. And that is what makes his connection with Duang so powerful.

Because Duang With You is not just a love story—it is a story about learning how to be loved.

Watching Qin gradually accept the care and warmth that Duang offers is one of the most rewarding emotional arcs in the series. The love that Duang gives, freely and without expectation, becomes something transformative—not just romantic, but deeply human.

Beyond the main couple, the series shines in its portrayal of friendships and side characters. Each individual feels purposeful, with their own personalities, struggles, and emotional journeys. The bonds between them add richness to the narrative, making the world feel real and lived-in.

Visually, the series is just as compelling. The direction is thoughtful, often choosing quiet moments over dramatic excess. The use of lighting, framing, and pacing enhances the emotional weight of scenes, allowing viewers to truly sit with the characters’ feelings.

But perhaps what makes Duang With You unforgettable is the way it stays with you.
It becomes part of your routine, something you look forward to, something that brings comfort. And when it ends, it leaves behind a quiet emptiness—like saying goodbye to people who felt real.

In the end, Duang With You is a reminder that love doesn’t always arrive perfectly. Sometimes, it comes gently, persistently, and patiently—like Duang himself—waiting for the right moment to be accepted.

And when it is, it changes everything.

Leia Mais

I don't want Duang or Qin with me

Beware reader - this is but a complete rambling, and shall (probably) not contain any decipherable opinion on Duang With You.

Because if this is what romance looks like? I don't want it!
From either POV. NO THANK YOU.
I'm not chasing my crush after they say no, in fact, I'm probably never going to confess to my crush - but that's a me thing - but if do, and they say no, I am not sticking around, like Sir, if you don't want me? Bye, I have better things to do.
And I don't even care if the guy chasing me around is handsome - you Sir, are going to jail, you stalker.

From the very first episode, I did not understand why this was something you were supposed to root for - Golden Retriever and Black Cat energy is real - but everytime Duang and Qin interact, it feels like Duang is literally absorbing all of Qin's energy (not that we get to see a lot of it anyway)

Episode after episode we see Duang going around doing the absolute most (too much) to make sure he has Qin's attention, which starts out kind of weird and kind of innocent. Sometimes you see someone and fall hard because they're attractive and talented and you get a tiny crush. And if you keep running into them, the crush gets bigger and you confess, which is exactly what happens here - albeit with the assistance of two characters with whom Duang shares his single braincell (I love them). It's all fun and antics, because Duang straight up says to Qin, 'I'm going to flirt with you'.
And Qin agrees!

But from there on out we get the worst possible love story, where Duang is doing absolutely everything. Absolutely everything in their relationship. He's all around Qin, bringing him food, drinks, helping him with performances, being the shoulder Qin can cry on - he's doing absolutely everything to get this man to go out with him. Which is either irritating, or endearing if you're Qin. Throughout all this, Qin shows no sign of ever being interested, until he suddenly is.. because they danced well?

It was unbelievable in the first place that the man whose sole expression was no expression agreed to date the energetic puppy but it only gets worse.
Because even as they date, Duang is the one putting in all the effort. According to Qin, letting someone come to you while you wait is an admirable trait, which no sir. That's not how relationships work. You can't expect to sit still and let someone worship you - but that is the exact kind of relationship they have.
They try to chalk it all up to Qin's experience with dating, him wanting to take his time before getting into a relationship because his first love got too frustrated when their relationship went nowhere after a while. Which fair, he wants to see if Duang is doing it just for the thrill of flirting with someone or if he's actually in it for the long run. Fair? Right?
NO
It would be fair if Qin barely knew Duang, but turns out, he's known him forever! He's known him well enough to know he was a genuine guy, and he still takes his time.

Maybe I can't fault him, because Qin.. Qin is a lot of things and Duang is just.. a lot.
I didn't like either of the leads, the way they were written. The trope they based their personalities on is soooo easy to mess up, and they did it royally here. They are the exact opposite to each other, so much so that both of them feel like absurd caricatures of human beings. It's too much or nothing at all.

Duang is too much. Sunshiny and ever-positive characters are almost necessary in a lot of plots, but not like Duang. Between the sniffing and the actual dog-like behaviour, his instincts to treat Qin like an actual deity can be easily ignored, but don't. That is not healthy behaviour. We don't watch dramas for ultimate reality but that is not healthy or realistic.

Qin is the complete opposite. I think his facial muscles moved a grand total of 12 times in the series. He is depicted as an entirely traumatized human being, which is again fair because he's been through some stuff, but I really hate the 'love solves all' narrative. That Duang is the only ray of sunshine in his life felt like utter nonsense. Even aside from that, Qin was a character written terribly, sometimes his behaviour really did come across as mean and narcissistic and I did not enjoy it.

Duang With You is an execution of one of my biggest pet peeves I have with literature and media - the perfect leads - no known flaws, all surface. And I don't mean flaws that are not really flaws, like "oh I read too much!"
No, how are they flawed and how does it affect their lives and the story? It doesn't have to be super deep, we are watching a romance but if you're going to have two perfect human beings on screen who do and say nothing to provoke, just simply agree.. it's not sparking any change in any of them! The only thing these characters have to grow from is a slightly sad background story that is resolved in one conversation despite them practically blaming everything that goes wrong in their life on that one thing.

We even got a side couple with just minimal screentime and maximum cringe, there was no real point to have them be a couple, except to maybe see how their pairing in the reality show would work out in a drama.

The only bright spot in this came in the form of three names - Duang, Jamie and Pae. I know I just laid into the way Duang was written, but remember the two people he shares his braincell with? I love them. Their friendship was genuinely admirable and the only healthy relationship in this entire show. They were fun, chaotic, supported each other but were never afraid to call each other out or smack some sense into each other. Their interactions were always the highlight, no matter the episode.

I don't even have the strength to rewrite it in my head, it's not a bad concept, it's just age old and so boring that I don't even want to contemplate on if anything in this could've been done better. There were tons, but I just don't have the energy to do it.

Maybe I was in a terrible mood as a watched an episode and that skewed my entire opinion of it.. but I don't think so. I just didn't like it, but honestly? It does have it's appealing qualities, they just weren't appealing to me. So instead of saying I do/do not recommend, I'll let everyone watching figure it out for themselves. My review has pretty much laid out facets of the story, it's only negative because I didn't enjoy them. So definitely find out for yourself - but for me, it was a no.

Leia Mais

GOTY

Conocemos tan bien y explora perfectamente la relación de dos personas completamente opuestas, pero que logran unirse y amarse incluso cruzando esa línea invisible que una vez los mantuvo distantes incluso cuando uno de ellos había visto al otro antes.
Qin un chico tan serio por sus traumas pero aún así permitió que Duang, un chico tan culo inquieto, le coqueteara con lo que eso implicaría, vemos como Duang no solo es un chico risueño, también tiene sus matices y una responsabilidad afectiva increíble, sabiendo que si Qin no quiere que él lo siga coqueteando el lo dejara de hacer, pero aún así esto no hubiera ocurrido si desde el inicio Qin no se lo hubiera permitido, lo que se muestra que desde un principio también el estuvo interesado en Duang, antes de qje revelarán qje efectivamente Qin había visto a Duang desde antes.

Pero ahora sí algunas de mis quejas sobre la serie, senti muy vacías la historia de la pareja secundaria, NorthOtto tienen un gran potencial pero siento que el JamieMarvis solo estaba ahí para rellenar, sin tener un desarrollo como tal, con un guión inexistente para ellos, como si solo estuvieran ahí para descomprimir, porque si sacaban las escenas de ellos los capítulos podían seguir igual.
incluyendo mi queja sobre Pae que al final quedo soltero, que llega a ser molesto, como porque presentas el engaño que le hizo a Tong, después mencionas varias veces qué tiene una pareja/crush, haciendo que Pae se vaya de la escena con esa excusa, pero ni siquiera nos dices quien es? acaso existe? manteniendo una intriga innecesaria solo para tener más audiencia?

Aún así amo esta serie y a todos los personajes 💕💕 no quería que terminara tan pronto 🥺

Leia Mais

I WILL REWATCH THIS MASTERPIECE AGAIN

I tend to not have high expectations when im watching light hearted shows. But this one really stick to me. It blown away even my highest one.
I liked everything about this show: acting, pacing, storylines, cinematography, everything.
It's perfect example how college romances should be done. And casting was perfect.
Every single actor did great. I even read novel because i couldn't endure the wait between episodes. But i have to praise Por and Tete the most. They lived the characters. I couldn't imagine who except them would do characters justice as they did. I can't wait to see them in more projects. They deserve everything and beyond.

Leia Mais

Romance so strong even imperial politics took the day off

I entered TLOTFG without knowing what to expect. I mostly came for Ryan, because I loved his portrayal of the emperor in ‘How Dare You’. And I genuinely spent a good time with this one.

He Yan is the kind of heroine this genre needs more of. Robbed of her identity and her achievements, she didn’t wallow. She pivoted, rebuilt, and then dominated.

In terms of romance, He Yan knew her own heart. No manufactured confusion, no forty episodes of misidentifying her own feelings. And Xiao Jue, once he untangled whatever knot lived in that gloriously complicated head of his, became completely, deliberately intentional. The tension between them was electric in the way only good slow burns manage to be. When the confession finally came, it was devastatingly cute. She said she loved the moon, but the moon didn’t know yet. He replied, later, that the moon was now hers. Whoever wrote that scene understood how love actually sounds when it’s gentle and certain at the same time.

That said, the show wasn’t airtight. Some arcs were frustratingly underwritten. Her mother, for instance, was sidelined for most of the drama, then quietly reintroduced in a way that raised more questions than the story bothered to answer. Why the poison? What was the point? It read less like deliberate narrative economy and more like a dropped thread. A minor grievance, but a nagging one.

Where the show did invest its energy, it invested it well. Chu Zhao was not a villain you roll your eyes at, he was one you understand. His motivations were coherent, his pain was legible, and the slow realization that he had become the very thing he despised was the kind of dramatic irony that sticks. His scheme to separate He Yan and Xiao Jue was also, frankly, evident. Concentrating that level of military power within a single household, in that political climate, was always a powder keg. Chu Zhao just had the presence of mind and the bitterness to light the match.

Which brings me to the Emperor. A woman infiltrating the military under a false identity, protected by the man in love with her, and it all gets quietly resolved because Xiao Jue had the foresight to loop him in beforehand? Plausible enough, at a stretch. But then that same Emperor, who had every historical and political reason to treat the concentration of military power within a single household as an existential threat, was ultimately moved to bless their union anyway. By sincerity. By romance. In that era, emperors didn’t just tolerate unchecked military power, they lost sleep over it, started wars over it, ended dynasties over it. And yet here, apparently, a genuine enough love story was sufficient to soften that particular calculation. I found it hard to believe, I raised an eyebrow. Then I consciously let it go, because the show had built enough goodwill by then. But I noticed.

What made it easier to let go was that the show was doing something genuinely thoughtful elsewhere. It had a feminism agenda and didn’t pretend otherwise, but it had the good sense not to make it cartoonish. The men in this story were not bumbling obstacles or moustache-twirling misogynists. They were products of their time, carrying biases they were taught, not born with. Some of them grew. Some didn’t. All of them felt human. It’s the difference between a conversation and a pamphlet. This show opted for the conversation.

But the detail that lingered longest with me : when Xiao Jue was forced to choose between his love and her ambitions, at no point did he consider making that her problem. He didn’t ask her to shrink, to step aside, to trade everything she had bled for so that his life could be tidier. He simply didn’t stand in her way. And somehow, in 2025, that still feels radical.

Loose ends and imperial convenience aside, TLOTFG knew what it wanted to say, it said it well, and it gave you two people genuinely worth rooting for.

Leia Mais

Duang and Qin’s love lays bare the full spectrum of emotions

Duang and Qin are two of the best-written and best-acted characters in BL in a long time. Duang is extra in every sense of the word, but is also the most sincere and loving person out there. Qin's cold exterior is matched later by the warmth long hidden inside him. Teetee and Por don't just act, they manage to create characters whose love you want to believe will last forever.

We go through a long journey of learning, change, and growth with Duang and Qin. The conflicts are handled smartly instead of being dragged on. I especially love Qin's confrontation with his parents as it's messy and emotionally charged, with years of pent-up emotions spilling out. The friend groups play an important role in Duang and Qin's story.

Duang and Qin feel like a real young queer couple, with positive sex talks, plenty of cuddles and kisses, small conflicts that are resolved by proper communication, visits to parents, and loads of other moments that will make you clutch your pillows.

I'm quite indifferent towards NC scenes in BLs nowadays since they are there to fill a quota. However, the NC scenes in this show are well-earned, well-choreographed, and serve a narrative purpose. I love the ep 7 shower scene as it perfectly builds yearning and desire into a beautiful display of raw emotions.

The music in this show is a highlight, from the custom BGM frequently exclaiming Duang and Qin to the entire album of beautiful OSTs.

To conclude, this show will make you feel every emotion on the spectrum, and in the end, you'll believe maybe true love like this exists somewhere.

Leia Mais

Empty cuteness

Not a proper review, I simply noted some of my thoughts about the show.

- Both main characters were unlikeable: Duang – childish and annoying, Qin – unpleasant and obnoxious. The show tried to explain Qin’s behavior, but it felt like a justification rather than an explanation: he’s allowed to act like a jerk because he has absent parents and was mistreated by his nanny. Given how little time was spent on resolving this issue (it was less than 9 minutes from Qin’s parents entering his condo, where the ep. 11 argument takes place, to Qin resting his head on his mom’s lap) – it was a flimsy excuse at best.

- Unlike most BLs, which spend too much time on side plots and events that have nothing to do with the love story, this show could have used some proper filler or a side/secondary couple story. Instead we got some BL tropes (including an ex trying to get back with one of the main characters and behaving like an a-hole in the process) as well as tons of vapid fluff and what was supposed to be "student life" – which was so boring and dragged for so long, that I started to watch the show on fast-forward.

- Jamie and Marvis seemed more interesting than Qin and Duang (which was a very low bar), but were given so little time that their side plot can hardly be called a story. The remaining "supporting" characters did not seem to serve any purpose in the story of either couple; not sure what was the point in including them in the show.

- There was no character growth (I actually laughed at Qin’s "I think everything that happened has made me grow so much" in ep. 12). While at times the script allowed Qin to act less like a douchebag, those moments were too few to indicate an actual change, felt fake and served to baffle others (mainly Duang).

- Instead of trying to elevate his character or at least make it likeable or relatable, Por did the opposite. He seemed sleepy or drugged or bored in almost every scene he was in, which made Qin seem permanently uninterested in anything, giving the vibe of a self-centered and uncaring person.

- TeeTee’s approach differs from Por’s, but his performance isn’t much better – it is barely watchable, and his "being cute and funny" shtick gets old by the end of ep. 1 (and gets annoying by ep. 2). However, there was a handful of scenes where TeeTee dropped that routine and behaved like a normal person (he even became serious once) – Duang needed much more of that to be a three-dimensional character. Those very rare glimpses that we actually got prove that TeeTee was able to portray his character differently – like in ep. 11, when Duang comforts Qin, who collapsed to the floor during an argument with his parents. I’d love to see more of that: Duang who is not necessarily mature, but is not childish either, who is genuinely caring without the constant overacting, who is not the smartest kid around, but is not silly either.

- I did not detect any chemistry between Por and TeeTee here – which is weird considering I remember them having some of it in that shoehorned romantic scene they had in ep. 8 of "Your Sky".

- The comedy did not work for me. The only part I found actually funny was the Duang-as-Chucky sequence in ep. 2.

- I got secondhand embarrassed while watching the post-shower scene in ep. 7 with Qin and Duang discussing the intimate side of their relationship. While the idea to have such a scene was very good, the execution was everything but good – both writing and performances were cringy and missing every beat they should hit.

- It’s always good to see Tattoo Colour on stage.

Leia Mais

JUST A PURE GREEN FOREST VIBES AND SWEETNESS!!

This was a long journey!! It’s my first tbl after 3yrs of leaving it and I’m not disappointed at all,, at first i thought dwy to have a similar cringy thai youth drama vibe but OH MY!! Duang is a damn exception, cuz he be doing all the cringy stuffs but still look cute and makes you adore him!!!
I LOVEEE how mature this drama is even after having a very casual plot line, every character really sticks with you till the end!

The story was one of the best I’ve ever watched!! It definitely is my TOP 1st in the list and will be always (until pttp comes with another banger keke)
And god duang is the most green forest character i’ve ever seen ughh!!! There is almost no misunderstanding and everything just feels very genuine!! Also i love how they have portrayed the qin character, it’s quite relatable to watch for me that i could understand every aspect of it!!

One thing i kinda wished that we would get a little more from second couple in story wise but it’s all sweet and i fully understand as northotto are very new to this…on that dmd have managed them very nicely for their respective roles (we want more of them in future too ><)
Now Teeteepor 🥹
They became part of my life in just few weeks!! It’s fascinating how I didn’t knew anything about them and now I’m here feeling so proud of them to achieve this big step on their acting career!! It shows how hard they have worked for this and the acting is very real and comforting!!! It was my
one of the best decision ever to watch this :3 TYSM DWY TEAM ❤️ (now we have to wait another 2yr 😭)

Leia Mais

The Best Show I Have Seen

I dont usually take the time to review a series but this one deserves it. One of the best series I have seen. The storyline had so much more depth than I ever imagined. I found myself laughing, kicking my feet, and at time even cryingnalong with these characters. TeeTeePor didnt just bring their characters to life, they became them. TeeTeePor's chemistry is unmatched. All the side characters are hilarious. Every week was boost of serotonin. I am not ready to close the book on Qin and Duang yet. To anyone considering watching this and who might stumble upon this review please watch it! The OSTs are also fantastic, the production, the acting, hell everything is top tier. This show will always and forever hold a special place in my heart that I know I will always come back to. It is my new comfort series and I will miss Saturday morning episodes being released so much. This show is a perfect 10/10. Amazing. 👏👏👏

Leia Mais

One of the most iconic fluff dramas of all time which actually has a plot

Usually I'm not a fluff person cz it kinda bores me when it doesn't have a plot and just fluff. Kinda like your sky or Ai long nai... i liked them but not like I LOVE THEM. I think that's where DWY is unique. It's not just fluff it has a plot and each character has their own personality and depth they're not simply cute or simply cold. They're someone you can actually relate too and sympathize with. I think we all have had our own Qin moments in life although meeting a Duang in real life is rare. I laughed with them cried with them and also rooted for them these couple of months. They just made my day..

I really really really recommend this drama to everyone. Don't miss out on this ❤️ bye bye DuangQin and hello TeeteePor

Leia Mais

A modern Cinderella story where the female lead takes control of her own fate

This is a classic romcom drama filled with comedy, romance, and plenty of tender, charming moments.

The story follows Seong Huiju, a wealthy young woman who, despite her status, has been denied respect and recognition her entire life. The drama takes place in an alternate universe with a constitutional monarchy, similar to England, where the themes of legitimacy, noble lineage, and social hierarchy are central. Huiju is looked down on, even by her own father, because she is the daughter of his mistress, a commoner. Although she works incredibly hard and rises to the top of her company, she is still denied her rightful place as heir. Her brother, born to her father’s legal wife and married into nobility, is favored instead despite not being fit for the job. When her father attempts to arrange a marriage for her, Huiju basically decides to take matters into her own hands and choose a husband who can give her the status and opportunities she’s been denied.

Enter Grand Prince Yi An, the regent. With the king still a child and unable to rule, as the previous king died mysteriously in a fire few years prior, Yi An holds the true power in the kingdom. However, there is tension beneath the surface, he basically disagree that his young nephew should rule, even though he clearly cares for him. Meanwhile, the Queen Dowager exerts pressure on the child king, creating a power struggle between her and Yi An because she doesn't want her son to be kept from holding the power. Caught in the middle is the young king himself, who is too young to understand the political games around him and simply wants a normal childhood.

Yi An and Huiju share a past as schoolmates, and they reunite at the king’s birthday celebration. Huiju quickly decides he is the man she wants to marry and begins pursuing him. Of course he agrees eventually, and they enter into a public relationship while secretly aligning their own ambitions. Their marriage is as much a strategic partnership as it is building their romance, with both planning to support each other even though they initially planning to divorce later. Together, they must navigate public scrutiny, royal expectations, protocol, and political factions.

It’s an endearing, easy-to-root-for the leads kind of drama. IU perfectly captures Huiju as an entitled/arrogant yet ultimately kind-hearted heiress, while Wooseok delivers a great performance as Yi An, someone cold, composed, and calculating, but with a mischievous edge and genuine warmth underneath.

Leia Mais