Dark Blue Kiss

Deeper than you may think

I read a lot of reviews and I think that when you watch this series you can whether like or dislike it. A lot of people criticised the fact that the story of Pete and Kao wasn't interesting because they fought for twelve episodes long. I disagree. Some people said that Sun and Mork's story was far more interesting than Pete and Kao's. I disagree : both of them were. Though, I agree with this who argued that Kao was maybe too passive and Pete sometimes too agressive. But it can be explained. + I apologise if there are any English mistakes.

Pete & Kao

I loved them in Kiss Me Again, I loved them more in Dark Blue Kiss. Why? Because it was the first time I watched a BL story that seemed so realist. The issues both of the leads faced were real issues. They have to deal with family, friends, work issues. DBK shows all the struggles a gay couple have to faced in our societies ( societies that accept gays relationships more or less). For instance, during all the series, Pete wants Kao to tell his mother about their relationship but he dares not, he's afraid to be a bad son. Same thing goes when he hides himself to his friends. Pete is more confident about who he is because he is already accepted by his father so it's easier for him. And while Kao is struggling with his sex orientation thing, Pete is struggling with himself. He has everything thanks to his father but he's still not confident (he doesn't have good grades etc.) which explain the fact he's so possessive over Kao. He's afraid of losing him, he's afraid for being not good enough and the fact that his secret boyfriend doesn't admit he's gay doesn't help him. I think that if they fought so much it's because they're afraid and that fear pushes them to lie or hide there feelings or even being not very understanding. But despite all of that they love each other so much. The two actors have a very good chemistry and I liked how sweet was Pete and Kao relationship. I loved how they had all those little fights, I loved how they support each other and show their affection in their own way. I think ep 7 was very important : Kao's surprise for Pete on their anniversary day showed that whatever people may say and even if Kao hides things, he likes Pete the most. Finally, I want to talk about the love/kiss scenes. GMMTV's dramas do not often show much. But what I liked in this one was all the allusions. It was different from SOTUS because we know that Pete and Kao are used to each other presence, they are confortable with each other (and yeah they do have sex, Pete seems to think about this a lot ahah). They discuss mature subject like wedding or making love. I liked that. Their friends and their families were amazing also.

Sun & Mork

I liked their story too, it was really fluffy and interesting. It was a pleasure to see Sun happy and to see everybody happy at the end in fact. I love they love-hate relationship and how understanding and funny Rain is with them. Like, the scene with all the three in the bed was so cute and funny. I was pleased to see a gay character that really assumed to be gay (Sun) and know that he is since a long time.

Let's talk abut Non now (and then I stop). I dislike him of course but poor boy, his father push him to become like that. I didn't like him since the beginning but in fact I think that Pete was a bit to much angry because Non was just doing some childish things to get him angry and Pete played the game. So I agree with the fact that Pete's jealousy was a bit excessive. In fact Non wasn't that evil. He is just a child who is looking for some attention and because his dad doesn't look at him, he is searching Kao attention, and Pete's in some way also.

So, I loved this drama as you can see by how long my review is. I think the story may seems cliché and a bit annoying for some but it's deeper than that.

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Nearly won me over

I have to say, immediately after completing the series I thought it was 10 worthy but after I actually thought about what i'd just watched properly I realised it was more like an 8ish.

I enjoyed the couples:

Pete and Kao - They covered a lot of actual issues that the LGBT+ community face all over the world which made the relationship feel more realistic and made this series stand out from a lot of other Thai bl's

Sun and Mork - My faves, that cute storyline where they 'hate' each other and you're just waiting for them to realise that they actually love each other. We got some very satisfying scenes from them I thought.

Manow and Rain - Wasn't quite as invested in this couple, felt a little 'oh Mork likes Sun, hey Rain, let's date now then' :/

My only main issue was Non, wayyyyy too much of him in this series, could have done with a lot less, felt like his personality traits were being a relationship wrecker and an assaulter who accuses his victim of assault (what?)

Oh and both bl couples were fighting at the same time so it might have been nice if these could be staggered so that we still got sweet moments from one couple while the others were arguing

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TayNew's chemistry makes Pete's character easy to forgive

After only recently discovering the world of Thai BLs, it soon became apparent that Dark Blue Kiss is among the fan favorites. I figured I'd give it a try from the very beginning. So, I watched all of Kiss the Series before moving on to Kiss Me Again. About a third of the way through KMA, I decided to start Dark Blue Kiss. I ultimately ended up finishing DBK before KMA.

Right away I noticed that the production was the best out of the entire Kiss entire. I was very pleased that the BL drama in a franchise was treated with the most delicacy. The opening credits blew me away. The tension rises as the opening music's intensity swells. Visually, glass shatters and Kao cries. It was a perfect match to the perfect opening scene, showing a big blowout between the show's main couple.

Even though DBK is the 3rd installment in a series, it's very digestible for new audiences who have no knowledge of Kiss or Kiss Me Again. In fact, there's nearly no reason at all to watch the other two series, as Pete and Kao's story lacks any continuity whatsoever. Ex: The two had revealed their relationship to the entire gang at the end of Kiss but in DBK, it's a secret to everyone but Sandee, who knew everything that was going on in Kiss Me Again (set before the events of Kiss), despite being shocked when they told her in Kiss.

Not only are PeteKao's story retconned multiple times but so are their personalities. Kao, for the most part, kinda remains the same, though he was much more goofier in Kiss and he always wore glasses that were never seen in DBK or KMA. Pete, however, is an everchanging character. Seeing as I watched him first in Kiss as Sandee's sweet and supportive friend, I was SHOCKED to see him be such an asshole in Kiss Me Again. But, I understood that he was acting out because of his feelings for Kao. In DBK, he's just an asshole simply because.

And don't get me wrong, the retconning stuff isn't ideal but it's nothing too bad. I certainly think it benefits most of the watchers who aren't interested in watching Kiss or Kiss Me Again. But Kao being an asshole was one of the few issues that I had with DBK. I thought Pete was an awful boyfriend. He's extremely toxic in his possessive and accusatory ways and he makes no apologies for it. I hate that the story leaned more towards Kao's actions being the problem by lying to his unreasonable boyfriend. Kao's livelihood was at stake but Pete wanted him to drop a client because of his insecurities. Pete was truly insufferable and he was never truly called out for it. And judging by the YouTube comments, viewers were actually romanticizing his toxic behavior. *Sigh*

BUT, despite how much I disliked Pete as a character, the chemistry that Tay has with New is undeniable. I enjoyed the sweet, romantic moments between the two and I can see why DBK is among the highly recommended of Thai BLs. Fans also seem to really enjoy Sun/Mork as the show's side couple. Truth be told, I was only mildly interested. The chemistry was great but I felt like there was too much back-and-forth with the development in the beginning. There was no consistent dynamic to their interactions. Sometimes Mork would talk about Sun with great disdain and then they have a snarky but cordial moment that leads to Mork and Sun softening up around each other... and then enemies again in the next episode. By the time there was more to relationship, I found that I didn't care about the relationship as much as the show wanted me to. Rain/Manow was background noise (which is unfortunate because Rain was one of my favorite characters in DBK).

Another minor issue I had was that I felt that there was too much emphasis put on Non's strict, tough-love upbringing with his overbearing father for there to be no satisfying conclusion to that story. Honestly, the writers really dropped the ball with Non as a character. There was a lot of potential to write a very gray character and build conflict that has the audience with a foot on each side. (for example: in the Thai drama titled 3 Will Be Free, starring DBK's Tay Tawan, two supporting characters are in direct conflict with the show's leads but because we get so much perspective from their side, they aren't considered bad guys to the viewers). It really annoys me when the writing is too simple and that's exactly what you get with Non. A simple villain. So much lost potential.

Overall, despite my issues with Pete as a character and how I personally believe that Non should have been written more sympathetically, I think DBK is very enjoyable.

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Splendid!

I'd read a lot of praise surrounding "Dark Blue Kiss" and was so excited to finally get around to it. Happy that it didn't disappoint one bit!

Alright, so first PeteKao:

Let's be honest, Pete isn't the most... likeable in this one, but I do love him all the same. I mean, his boyfriend is the cutest, sweetest, most likeable guy in all of their school, I'd be worried about someone wanting to snatch him up, too! He thankfully makes a few good points eventually which helps redeem him. Although, thank god for Sandee for telling him straight a few times. As for Kao, I think it's already clear that I adore him. I just wanna eat him up.

Although can we talk about how in one of the prequels, Kao is the one taking photos for Sun but now Pete is the photography enthusiast and Kao suddenly knows nothing about cameras? That was weird.

I'm obsessed with Pete's dad and Kao's mom. All of their scenes are so precious and really wonderful and honestly so refreshing and necessary when telling a story about a kid afraid of coming out. To see both of them react so beautifully is wonderful.

There's a lot that reminded of "Tharntype 2". Kao and Type getting into trouble for being too kind to a kid with a crush and bad intentions, Fiat and Non being that kid with a crush, and finally Tharn and Pete being the possessive and jealous type. Though I love "Tharntype 2", "Dark Blue Kiss" has more than just miscommunication to the major conflict which is a big plus (there's still a lot of it, though, so they're both pretty much equally frustrating eheh).

Speaking of Non, I think it's hilarious that he just disappears after the truth comes out. Fiat gets a redeeming ark in Tharntype and I was not about it, I actually thought this was much more fun when you've spent a whole season hating the kid. Karma (but yeah his dad needs to chill...).

Then, SunMork:

Sun is really cute and I do like him but it takes that boy such a long time to question himself and it doesn't look like he ever would have without Rain. Rain being sort of stuck in the middle was actually really awesome. I loved him. He's really sweet, loyal, kind, and funny; what more can you ask for? I feel as though I still don't really know Mork, which is a shame, but I like him. I thought their story was just as interesting as Pete and Kao.

The soundtrack is really, really great. I'm especially obsessed with the opening credits, I never skipped it, it was that good!

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Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol’s Drama Gem

I am now a fan of Director-Screenwriter-Producer Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol and will watch out for his future projects. I noticed that if Noppharnach is given helm of his projects, we get gems like Dark Blue Kiss, Bad Buddy and A Tale of a Thousand Stars… First off, I read in other reviews that there is a problem in continuity of the previous Kiss series and DBK. I think the producers gave Noppharnach the freedom to adjust the script so he can work his magic. And he did not disappoint.

I find DBK a light drama which touches the heart. But there are so many lessons that we might think unimportant, but small details that everyone can learn to further understand our lgbtq siblings. This is also a good watch for parents. Sex and Sexuality can be difficult topics, so these talks are better done early on with the kids so they become proud mature individuals.

DBK could have been a heavy dramatic series but Director Noppharnach chose not to do so. Which is a relief coz not all problems need to crush our world. I love how Kao, the seemingly timid half of Pete-Kao duo, handled his multitude problems. He is stoic and continued with living. He did not have a dramatic breakdown because his relationship of 3 years is falling apart. No TharnType moments. This is strength and maturity. Problems come and go, it is how you deal with them that shows your character.

I am now a fan of New and Tay. I used to wonder why Earth-New did not push through. Now I know why. The chemistry of New and Tay hands down beat Earth-New in Water Boyzz. Probably because of the director. Noppharnach is a master in shipping his romantic pairs: NewTay (DBK), EarthMix (AToTS), PranPat (BadBuddy). In DBK, it was a delight to watch the other relationships: Sun-Mork, Rain-Manow, brothers + bestfriend/boyfriend Rain-Sun-Mork. Everyone had great chemistry including the original gang from the Kiss series. And the parents, the usually forgotten and set aside people who have great influences in our protagonists, are given their time to shine (or sink). Then who would forget the brat but tragic looking-for-love Non. Viewers probably want to hug him due to his age but beat his butt with a big stick so he’ll learn his lesson. The three pairs with their individual backstories were all fluidly conveyed. A lot of romance between our established couple, and hopeful sweet moments with our budding pairs. No dramatics when not necessary.

Needless to say, this particular series will be watched multiple times by this reviewer.

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Finally understand why everyone loves this show

I had been putting of watching this, because I couldn't get through Kiss me again. But it was worth it! I basically binge-watched the whole show and enjoyed every second of it.

I especially love how this show wasn't scared to talk about important queer topics and did so kindly. For example when Rain basically outed Mork to his girlfriend, it wasn't a big deal to them, but Mork called him out on it anyways and educated his friend (and the viewers).
And Pete's Dad and Kao's Mum deserve parents of the year awards! I wish every parent would love their child unconditionally like this <3

This show made me truly happy and will forever be one of my favorites!

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Love it

I love this drama for how mature it is, it reminds me a lot of a telenovela, even the intro has that kind kd vibe! Sometimes i did get frustrated with the lack of communication between pete and kao and the sometimes aggressively possessive moments they had. I love the fact that they talked abou the more tough parts of their lives like not being ready to come out to the world even though your s/o is getting tired of waiting. Regarding sunmork, they have easily become one of my favorite couples in a bl series, i just love podd and gawin, their chemistry is so on point and their story was heartwarming.

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It was amazing

The drama was light hearted but not too much, there was just the right amount of comedy and it did have moments that had you sitting up with all your attention on the drama going on. Let’s not forget the sexual tension that had everyone waiting for Pete jumping koa and vice-versa.


Now I’ve watched a ton of bl’s including 2gether, Sotus, Why R U, 2 moons and so on. While I loved it nothing compared to this, there was something about this pairing that just did it for me especially Pete, it’s like I felt his emotions.

They had an amazing chemistry though Pete needs to work on his trust issues but Koa seems to have no problem with his possessiveness which can get out of hand sometimes. I’ve seen this series for almost a year now but I never watched it until now cause the description didn’t do it justice and made it look like any other cliche bl which was far from that.

My best bl couple was Sarawat and Tine but Kao and Pete have the tittle now, the only thing I was disappointed about was the lack of hot scenes, although they were always at it but they often just say it nothing was really shown which is a shame cause like I stated earlier on their chemistry is off the charts. I felt sad when it ended cause I wanted to see more of them and i hope I meet this pairing in another bl drama.

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Cute, fun, intimate. And the side couple!

Disclaimer: I haven't watched Kiss Me yet. I started from here 'cause I got curious of TayNew chemistry and I must say I wasn't disappointed.

It starts with Pete being mad jealous about Non, who is handsome, popular, rich and looks everyone from his pedestal. Yet, when Kao meets Non, he's just a flirty student of his. He doesn't get much bothered about him; to Kao, Non is just money (and the son of his mom's very intimidating boss). From the start, we get that what Kao does with Non, it influences his mom's work. Yet, Pete asks his boyfriend to stop tutoring the kid. At first I was SO MAD, and it was the most toxic move Pete could make. During all the drama we get the tension about the "Non" topic, how the characters can't stand the taboo, and the lies. Yet, we see how in love they are with each other. They both make the most unbearable wrongs, and both of them learn from that. I loved how the table turns in the end, I suffered with Kao when Non reveals himself as he is. I love them as a couple, how smooth everything was and how the concerns of both of them is valid. Credit points to Pete and Kao's friends who support the couple and help them open up.

Sun and Mork. omg, sun and mork. the way I suffered with their fights and overjoyed with them. They need a whole drama.

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weaponized incompetence

So, after almost five years, we finally made it. I tried to start this show 3 times: once when it was airing, twice a couple of months ago, and thrice 1 day ago. And in about 24 hours, I finished the show. Heavy case of Haven't we been here before? I have so much stuff I need to do, but I love writing reviews a lot, so I am going to write this and then the sign special and then probably get ready for work lol (I haven't done any of this and the day is almost done). I am so tired because I was watching this literally all day yesterday while going to school and working on college apps. I don't have a headline, and I need to average it out. 8.7916 out of 10, so I am going to round it down to 8.5 out of 10, and let's do this.

Pete's red flag list, because I said I was going to write it lol:
1. He is a fucking control freak.
2. Heavy case of weaponized incompetence ("a passive-aggressive behavior where someone intentionally or unintentionally pretends to be unable to complete a task in order to avoid responsibility)," which is not cute or sexy; it is fucking annoying. I think this is seen with his attitude and his intelligence, which is very much lacking.
3. TRUST ISSUES.
4. Gets jealous over literal air sometimes.
5. Silver Spoon was so far up HIS ASS, it gave him a colonoscopy.
6. RBF.
7. Blows a fuse very easily.
8. Anger management issues.
9. Incapable of admitting that he is wrong.
10. Empathy issues (me too, babe)
11. He gets angry at Pete for no reason
12. Anger is the only emotion that he feels.
13. Little bitchitus

Coming for your job and coming for your man: Because the headline I put in this episode was so funny I needed to put it. "Haven't we been here before? Yes, yes, we have." I needed something to watch that was not on my graveyard watchlist like this would have ended up, so I picked this because I remembered I have free will. This show was very nostalgic, and I didn't understand why a day ago, and I still don't know why. It felt very nostalgic, like I had watched something like it before. We had Asshole x Sweetheart (Pete and Kao), Fighter x Nagger (Mork and Sun), I like your friend x I like you (Manow and Rain), and a little bitch that is going to ruin everything just because he can't handle rejection (Non). I did not watch the prequel and probably should, but this episode set everything up perfectly, and it all unraveled in what felt like a very timely manner.

"Peak the show finding someone to hinder our main couple so they can drag this out and not just end the first episode with them dating." That summarized the show perfectly, and I could stop here, but I love writing, so I will not. I was very much addicted to Mork (played by the sexy Gawin Caskey); he was giving off such a bad-boy vibe, and I was fucking obsessed. Pete was making me very angry because he was really so fucking annoying. If Pete got his head out of his own ass and actually understood that not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth and can do whatever the fuck they want, the show would have ended a lot faster. Pick your own battles, I guess.

I went to bed and woke back up to continue watching, and Pete was making me angry. Genuinely, how can anyone put up with someone like that? I was right about Non's crazy ass dad and him giving me the ick. Non is just misunderstood and a kid but it does not excuse what he did to Pete and Kao. This had some really good acting and every time I felt myself getting really angry I pulled myself back and just said good acting. Also, Sun and his sexy ass has a hard time being wrong and admitting that. That is also a big red flag. Mork and Sun were very cute and a nice break from the main couple, even though they definitely should have been a main couple because we were seeing a lot of them. I thought they were I am going to be honest. Mork and Pete were actually the same, it was just okay for Mork because he was sexy? Like Pete is as well, but everyone hates Pete and his issues, but people just think Mork is a handsome bad boy, instead of an angry hot head. What does that say about our society?

Pete was driving me up the wall, dude. Legs were spread for Mork though. Kao brings out the best in Pete and is the only thing holding him back from losing his mind, which isn't a good thing at all, that's weaponized incompetence. Okay, I was starting to sympathize with Pete because his boyfriend is actually being preyed on by Non and everyone is acting like Pete is the crazy one (which he is but in this case, he is not). He just has a hard time expressing himself lol. Okay, I need to shower and get ready for work. Okay, I am now at work and continuing this. Mork was still my man, with his sexy ass. Also, is Manow in high school? How old is she? Because aren't Rain and Mork juniors (3rd years) or are they 2nd years? Still predatory behavior, we had a lot of that. There is one non-broke person out of the main couples lol and it is Pete's insufferable ass. I was confused about how the two main couples collided, but it was through Sun and Kao at the cafe, which was interesting. Once again me complaining about Pete. Seeing all of the different worlds that everyone is living in was interesting. Mork and Sun were overdue rent soulmates.

Freak 7 days a week: Pete's bat shit craziness was genuinely stressing Kao out and making him overwhelmed for no reason. Also, Tay has serious RBF (resting bitch face); even when he smiles, he still has RBF, lol. He is very attractive, and that and his sexy nose definitely add to it. And New has serious RSF (resting scared face). He always looks like he is being held at gunpoint, even in his own Instagram post. The intro was lowkey really good and summed up the show pretty well. "This show reminds me of something, but I can't remember what." I still don't know and I have been thinking about it since episode one. Manow likes Mork. Also, peak Sun and Rain preying on people younger than them. Kao attracts crazy ass men and he needs to learn how to set boundaries. Non was so messy and was actually a great villain and I loved it. People always push Pete's buttons constantly, and his dad always trying to pave the way for him, but him never being enough, and he acts crazy because of that. He has all of this pressure, and it is making him lose his fucking mind. Pete was really trying to change; he wanted to be better for Kao, be better for his friends and family; he just gets made very easily, like losing his shit mad, making him go backward. He is also like this because of all of this hatred from his cousins and being gay, the world didn't do him justice and made him out to be a villain, and a villain he became dude and a villain he became. The whole bloodline (Sun and Rain) was jealous, lol. I recognized my first scene, and it was the weird FaceTime scene. it was clear from the start that Kao didn't like Non, and he was very standoffish with him because of this Non was taking advantage of his kindness, and that's why Pete is mad. All nice people need mean friends or a mean boyfriend in this case. Sun is a freak and I am actually so in love with everything about him. He and those freaky ass eyes, damn legs spread not to be weird or anything. Uh, Sun and Mork are Kao and Pete, just different branches of both of them.

Peak Sun taking advantage of the fact that Mork has no other form of transportation besides him. The subtitles were wack, and I understood until 1 minute 30 seconds in and then I realized there were no subtitles, lol. I would crash out if I was Rain, I am actually surprised that the show didn't milk his story more because he had every right to be angry at the world all the time. Pete has stage fright, which is very out of character for him and makes him more human. Also terrible friends for making fun of him for that. He does not like being judged and all that attention on him, but they just continue to make him a villain on that. (My manager just judged me for doing homework, side eye). Peak Sun and his smirks again. I have to follow this sexy man on Instagram, bro. stalking him right now lol. I now follow him on Instagram. What a sexy man. I have to clock in now, lol. OH SHIT, HE'S THE VILLAIN IN WANDEE GOODDAY. Full circle moment. He is so much hotter in this, but I knew I recognized him from somewhere. Peak him trying to be a good person, but it always came to bite him in the ass. Non is such a gaslighter and manipulator; they did that so well. People like that are always so "nice." love to see it. Pete thinking he is crazy because of Non. Non sticking his nose where it shouldn't belong and gaslighting everyone with the "nice guys finish last" personality. I know two people like that in my life, side eye. Non was just fucking with Pete the whole show and then got all defensive when Pete rightfully blew his lid every time. Non had some great switch-ups; love to see that good acting. He is trying to get Pete alone and fuck with the people around him. "Non just wants to fuck around and find out; I would punch his ass in the face. Suddenly I am Pete, bro." So true, me, so true. "Fuck, dude. What we hate about other people is what we hate about ourselves. I’m having this problem with Pete right now because I’m sitting there and his friends are just calling him an asshole because he’s literally in the right and he’s just speaking his truth and that’s what I hate about him, that he’s an asshole, but I see myself in him, problematic. Also, Non and Pete are the same. They’re both troubled and want to prove themselves. Just Non is doing it correctly and Pete is not." This sums up the next few episodes perfectly. Mork is a great singer; shout out my boy Gawin, might need to go back to this just to hear him sing again. Also, Mork tweaks out and seethes when he is mad, nostrils flaring and shit. Girl me too.

Holy fuck I wrote so much. Maybe the real engineering was the friends we made along the way. Pete was doing so well in terms of development and I love them for him. I am glad they wrote his character like that instead of it happening overnight, it took about the whole show and that was interesting. Pete and Non are the same, that's why they clash so fucking much. Blowing stuff out of proportion all for Kao. Pete is valid in how he is feeling, he just doesn't know how to express it correctly. Okay, I am gonna go back to work. I swear to god they only kissed twice bro, insane.

"Getting freaky on the living room sofa is insane." I think that all the stuff that Pete's dad put him through I am glad that he is supportive because that could have made him an even worse villain lol. I was going to stop and then finish this today but I kept going, I couldn't stop.

We get a full circle moment because of how the show started, we are finally there. Pete is low for the ultimatum though, he was doing so fucking good, but his rich ass can't fathom that people do stuff because they need money. Also, the two couples fell apart simultaneously and I didn't appreciate that lol. "One day {Kao} will stop putting up with his bullshit and it's all gonna be over." Will that day be any time soon, we don't know. And I was getting very depressed with everything that was happening. I wish my mom loved me like that, damn. Non giving the peace sign after ruining literally everything is funny as fuck.

"Ruining people's lives because you got rejected and can't understand that is crazy work." Non was such a good villain and his smile in the introduction when he was sitting down on the ground, evil. I love it, I love it so much. Kao is just like what the fuck is happening. He had no idea that Pete came to talk to him or that he texted him. That's just sick and twisted. Turning everyone against someone, including someone he loved so much, just so you could date him is so fucking low. And that didn't even happen because he doesn't like children. Also Non lying to his dad about attempted rape was fucking crazy. Non is literally bigger, taller, and stronger than Kao, it doesn't matter if he is younger, that is attempted fucking rape, all because he was scared of his father. That's fucked up dude. I think the show did this very well.

I felt bad for Kao, Non also forced him to come out to his mom and I could tell he wasn't ready. It hurts man, it hurts a lot. Mork and Sun get their shit together and they continued to steal my heart in this show because they were so fucking cute. Sun's eyes were so soft and he was so in love. Dropped the "I love you" twice lol. So fucking cute and Mark's eyes were soft too. Fuck I love, love stories. Also, Non bro, if you are going ruin someone's life to try to get them to date you, get your head out of your dad's fucking ass first.

I finished this so late last night and I had so many regrets because I was exhausted this morning. This show took a very dark turn very fucking fast. It was insane. It was all sunshine and rainbows and then it just started to go crazy downhill. It was very overwhelming, to say the least. It kept pilling issues on top of other issues and the sad part was that it was very fucking realistic. Because people act like this in everyday life man. Pete knew where his heart was and I am glad he made that weird live, sure he outed himself and Kao in the process but he did come around and that was cute. Oh, love. “And kissing underwater would stress me out lol. Both single parents two very different kids. Peak 2 moons with this every day and night I love you song lol.” And that was the end. I don’t really know how I feel about the ending, though. I feel like they could’ve done more with it and added more. I guess cute moments and development, but they didn't. Eh, it was still good.

And yeah, this takes us to the end of the review. Ain't that something? Would I recommend it? Yeah, it is a classic and has a good couple. If you wanna be less confused, maybe watch the prequel. But I don’t know, I haven't seen it yet. Then again I am a stranger online you don’t have to listen to me. Maybe see this show in another 5 years? Okay bye!

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If you're looking for fluff, you're in the wrong place...

I feel like I have watched a different show from everyone else because I actually really, really loved this? and binged it within a day…?
To start off, this show is more on the mature side, so if you’re looking for fluff or if you’re here for cutesy BL moments DBK is probably not the show for you. I feel like nowadays BL shows have veered into a different type of cinematography (sometimes aiming for spectacularity over substance) while this one stays focused on the characters and their growth, the plot heavily driven by their interactions (although there are some serious scenographic shots/lovely scenes scattered around), therefore there are little to no flat moments.

Overall the characters feel genuine and not like some caricature as it often happens in more comedic shows, most of the actors are able to deliver their intentions convincingly without overdoing it. This is my first time watching TayNew and I’m honestly impressed by their performance? Especially for Tay, I feel like Pete had less screen time than Kao but every time he’s on the scene he manages to steal the spotlight from the others with his fierceness and his charisma. Yes, we can argue that Pete is very intense, hothead and often unreasonable, but in my opinion a “””bad””” person does not necessarily make for a bad character. In his case it’s quite the opposite. (And props to sweet Kao as well, my boy can be dense but he’s just doing his best!)

Usually I’m not a fan of contents with established relationships but DBK was able to keep me hooked - I was actually obsessed - with the magnetic portrayal of PK love story, the show was able to sell them as an authentic (gay) couple. Like, the chemistry is chemistrying. They flirt, they argue, they make up, they have a healthy sex life, they support each other and are each other’s best friend above all, they respect each other’s families and push each other to grow and become better persons. It may seem like their relationship is a bit unbalanced but that feels authentic to me as well. To quote the show, in a relationship you can’t always split the bill evenly, as loving does not come with receipts and people are, by nature, flawed. You-give-me-this-I-give-you-that-and-we-are-even does not work in real life!

On the other hand, we get to witness a fiery second couple flourish. Although their acting is not as flavourful as the main leads, I was actually enthralled by their charming arc and, at times, loved it just as much. After all, hate-to-love relationships never fail to deliver!
[Side note, but as I happened to watch Be My Favourite, Not Me and Dark Blue Kiss is this exact order, it was entertaining seeing Gawin’s acting going backwards from his charming portrayal of Pisaeng to his rookie representation of Mork. At this point, sad-closeted-gay-boy is his trademark lol.]

Beside great characterisation (remarkably Rain, Pete’s father and Kao’s mother are awe-inspiring personalities), as I mentioned DBK managed to engage me because it deals compellingly with mature topics of family and relationship dynamics, personal growth and acceptance, fear of meeting expectations and peer pressure, social issues like power structures, middle class struggles, lgbtqia+ rights, the contrast between earned respect and curtesy imposed by authority, and many other. Personally, I believe the show does a spectacular job at portraying real life issues in such a poignant, uplifting and nuanced way.

Spoiler Alert in parentheses!
[Some of my favourite moments were:
- Pete’s dad being so open and accepting with Pete sexuality to the point of approaching him to verify whether he is practicing safe seggs with Kao (the condoms lmao).
- Kao caving in and telling his mother he won’t be tutoring Non any longer, only after she told him she would finally get a promotion. That was kind of heartbreaking… My poor hardworking, family boy. :(
- Rain and Mork being the best of friends and being so supportive and understanding of each other; Rain standing up to Sun by demanding that he owns up to his mistakes and apologises to Mork about his paternalistic and proud behaviour. Go bestie!
- Pete and Kao domesticity after they reconcile. <33333]

So, is the story worth a watch? In my opinion, definitely.
I may be biased because I kind of love a bit of spice and controversy, but DBK is able to deliver just the right amount to keep the story going without dragging pointless misunderstandings into dreary melodrama. Sh*t happens and these boys are just stubborn! But they come around in the end!! :))

As I feel there is a tendency to disregard older BL shows for the sole reason of being kind of old-fashioned, I’m glad I actually give this one a shot and found an hidden gem, as it was very easy to get into the story and catch up with the plot, despite not having watched the previous instalments. DBK aims for straightforward rather than grandiose, but its message remains timeless and manages to drive its point home touchingly and convincingly.

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