This review may contain spoilers
Well, now, that was just Fricking adorable
Rated= 8.5 ~ 34.5/50 ~ 6.9RPG Scene // Mermaid Vibing in the Flower Meadow. Sword Dancing practice.
I was having a drama slump and my years on the internet have taught me that when I feel like that, bored and restless and searching for something to die for, just randomly start clicking on things. It's like pasta on the wall. You will absolutely find something. And find something I did.
First 2 seconds I fell in love with Boun who plays Win. Daaaamnn, that man is FINE with extra emphasis on the F. God damn, I think I drooled through the first few episodes LOL
Unbeknownst to me, thanks to my randomly clicking, I have learned that this is a sister story to the original plot which follows Dean and Pharm, who are featured as a side couple in this one. I did find it hilarious, since I havent watched the original series, knowing that there was a whole drama happening in the back and I know nothing about it LOL I can just feel that the heat happening off screen LOL Having said that, Pharm, for his little appearances absolutely stole my heart and I feel like I'm about to lay down my life for him when I start watching his series, which is definitely coming next. No question. When I sit my butt down next for a series, I am clicking for Pharm and Dean LOL
Anyway, back to this series. This show follows Win, a punk'd out Vice President of the swim team and Team, initially a very innocent and sheltered young swimmer with a tragic past. Since I havent watch the parent story, Win seemed liked the kind of guy who had his eyes on Team previously and when he finally gets his moment with Team, Team jumps head first into bed with him, much to his delight.
It's a casual fling which naturally develops into heavier emotions, which casual sex usually does, for at least one of the people involved. That's how the brain works. We like to get attached to things lol
Overall, I found the couple pretty cute. The consistent nod to consent for me, was very sexy. Boun's acting is pretty piercing. He says a lot with his eyes. Prem, I felt was a little off at times but that may have just been me. He had a lot of very emotionally powered scenes and I think he did well through most of them.
His character has a legit tragedy in his past and his reactions and behaviour are very understandable for someone who has to carry that for the rest of their life. Normally, I would find the tsundere types annoying but I actually understood his moods here. I did really feel for his pain and felt the relief with him when Win comforted him.
As for the other couples, wow, there were so many.
Pharm and Dean, for what I seen, looked very stereotypical but were nonetheless adorable. 8/10
Bee and Prince - I actually really loved this couple. They seemed very genuine and Bee was an absolute sweetheart. 9/10
Win's Brother and Tol - I felt like this one was a little random. Like they had to squeeze some more gay in but I went with it. 4/10
Manow and Pheuk - this seemed like a really sweet and genuine straight couple in a BL and Manow was adorable and kind of funny. They looked cute together. 7/10
Overall, it's not a tense show despite it's content. It has a very warm and heartfelt BL that deals gently with life's more serious questions but doesn't leave you feel empty or hopeless.
I left with a big smile on my face for everyone. Definitely worth a rewatch.
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Wasted Potential! Would Have Been a Great BL if it Wasn't a UWMA Spin Off!!
Between Us would have a higher score if it wasn't a UWMA spinoff. As an individual drama, Between Us is better than most of the BLs out there, however, since it's a spinoff, we can't help but make comparisons to UWMA. When compared to UWMA, Between Us fails to meet our expectations.•❅──────✧❅✦ Between Us as a Standalone Drama ✦❅✧──────❅•
As a standalone drama, Between Us is superior to most of the BLs being made today.
The storyline is not cliché and the main characters, as well as most of the supporting characters, are not your stereotypical BL characters. Between Us has a dark storyline about mental health and childhood trauma and chooses to explore it in a very realistic and mature way. If this were a typical BL, the childhood trauma arch would be finished in an episode or two, in a love conquers all kind of way, and would focus more on how Team and Win fall in love, rather than focusing on how Win helps Team through his trauma. That is by no means saying that Between Us is the next Until We Meet Again, but the way that the drama is presented and the characters deal with their issues is what makes Between Us stand alongside some of the better underrated BL dramas like Not Me.
If you take away any relation to UWMA, Between Us is a must watch drama. How Win and Team deal with their issues, especially Team's mental health, is phenomenal. Their love isn't connected by a red thread like most BL couples out there. There wasn't instant attraction and sweet love from the beginning. Win and Team started off with a toxic relationship and they built their relationship into one that can be accepted by others. Regarding mental health, Win doesn't just magically erase Team's trauma. He tries, but Win doesn’t erase it. So again, love doesn't conquer all in this drama, so it’s interesting to watch.
•❅──────✧❅✦ Between Us as a Spinoff to Until We Meet Again ✦❅✧──────❅•
As great as I think this drama is, Between Us is a spinoff of UWMA, and it fails to meet our expectations as a spinoff. UWMA is a phenomenal drama, and any follow up would obviously be compared to it. The expectations were high, and Between Us failed to deliver. Why? Because there was a genre switch, and the side couples did not meet our expectation.
First, let’s talk about the genre switch. UWMA is every romantic's dream come true. Dean and Pharm are reincarnated lovers, bound by fate. They are soulmates. Dean and Pharm's love is very unrealistic, but we all want that kind of love. Between Us, on the other hand, is very dark and realistic. No one wants to deal with a love that isn't fated, let alone complicated. Win and Team's love is so dark, realistic, and depressing it doesn't bring us to the happy place that UWMA did. Win and Team are not soulmates connected by a red thread. There isn't any proof of it, so when we see them we don't cry or sympathize with them. We don’t want their love like we wanted Dean and Pharm’s.
Lastly and probably most frustratingly, the side couples were not up to par with UWMA. In UWMA, Dean and Pharm were the main couple, but we got Korn and Intouch as a beautiful side couple with an interesting storyline. Even Win and Team, and Mannow and Pruek were appealing side couples. Win and Team’s storyline about the swim team's resident bad boy falling for the innocent and naïve freshman was the stuff of dreams. Mannow also had a storyline about always being a supporting character and finding love. When the spinoff was announced, we looked forward to the relationship Win and Team. Maybe even get to see Mannow and Pruek's love blossom! However, in Between Us everything changed. The swim team's bad boy and naïve freshman storyline was thrown out to accommodate a darker story about mental illness. Which is okay, it has potential to be another amazing story, which it was. However, the side couples in Between Us, did not meet our expectations. Mannow's storyline, which many fans were looking forward to, wasn't in the spotlight. Dean and Pharm? They were barely in the series. All of the UWMA characters that we grew to love were replaced by a brand-new set of side characters and couples. Which would have been okay, if they felt like they were part of the UWMA universe. Bee and Prince's story felt like it was coming from Love By Chance. Even Waan and Tul's story felt like it came from another drama despite Waan being Win's older brother and Tul being a very, very minor character in UWMA.
It's a shame that Between Us has wasted its potential this way. Even if Between Us switched genres from fantasy to realistic, maybe if Between Us kept the original cast from Until We Meet Again and just expanded on their storylines instead of giving us a brand new set of side characters and couples, the spinoff would have been just as great if not better than the original.
•❅──────✧❅✦ CHARACTERS ✦❅✧──────❅•
~~~ Win x Team ~~~
Win is the boyfriend we all wish we had! Sure, he has commitment issues and is afraid of love, but he takes care of Team without any expectations of a return. Due to his issues, he doesn't really communicate his feelings well verbally to Team, but his facial expression usually gives away his thoughts and Team is able to pick up on it, even if it does confuse him sometimes.
Team, on the other hand, is a ball of confusion. He is too naïve for the world and the life he was given. His childhood trauma makes him unable to mature into the person he has the potential to become. It seems like while he's grown up and can handle himself, he also can't handle conflict because he couldn't forgive himself after his childhood accident. He could never get past that accident, and it affects him to this day.
As a couple, Win and Team are not soulmates. While the drama tries to make us believe that they are soulmates, they are not. Win is clearly in love with Team and has been from episode 1, however, it seems like Team is clinging to whoever was the first to help him through his trauma. Yes, Team loves Win, but there is no proof to show that it's not because Win was there to help him sleep through his nightmares. Team depends on Win a lot, but in the drama, Team is never given a chance to be there for Win. Win's commitment issues are swept under the rug for Team's childhood trauma, that unless someone tells you it's because he's the middle child and had to sacrifice so much in his life, you would never know just from watching the drama. However, they are cute together.
~~~ Bee x Prince (and the ABC trio) ~~~
Bee or Bumblebee is Team's clubmate and part of the comedic ABC trio. He falls in love with his classmate Prince, who is a famous actor. They end up having a secret romance because as a famous actor, Prince can't disappoint his fans by having a lover, let alone a male lover.
While I like Bee as a character, and am curious about his love for Prince, these two and their relationship have no business being in this drama. They give off Love By Chance vibes that as soon as I saw Prince, I thought he was Pete (Saint) 2.0.
Bee and Prince do have an interesting storyline, but it has no business being in this drama and should be a new drama all together. The screen time given to Bee and Prince's storyline should have been given to Mannow or Waan's storyline.
~~~ Waan x Tul ~~~
Waan is Win's older brother, while Tul is Win's clubmate. Waan meets T-Rex, Tul's username, while gaming online. T-Rex accidentally overhears Waan's father scolding him while gaming which leads to Waan unloading his issues to T-Rex. T-Rex becomes Waan's safe space, but he never wants to meet T-Rex in person.
Waan and Tul have an interesting storyline and it's nice to see their romance on screen... However, as a spinoff to UWMA, myself and most of the audience wanted to see more of Mannow's relationship with Pruek, so their relationship came out of left field. I still want to see more of Waan and Tul though, since their storyline is very interesting.
~~~ Mannow x Pruek ~~~
If you've watched UWMA, you know Mannow ends of dating Pruek. Between Us just fills in some of the gaps of how they got together... However, maybe because this is a BL and Mannow and Pruek are a straight couple, the screenwriters chose to focus on the other gay relationships. Once again, Mannow and Pruek get very little screentime and are pushed off to the side. We do get a little more detail into how they got together. But unless you watched UWMA, you could care less about this couple. Their storyline is given in bits and pieces that you need to watch UWMA and Between Us to get their whole storyline. If you don't and are watching Between Us as a standalone drama, you won't understand why Mannow is so important and why she is in the drama.
~~~ Dean x Pharm ~~~
Same with Mannow, Dean and Pharm are there to remind us that this is a UWMA spinoff. They mostly just are a cameo and are just odd reminders that this is a spinoff.
•❅──────✧❅✦ OVERALL ✦❅✧──────❅•
While Between Us wasn't the best as spinoff to Until We Meet Again. It is a good drama. I recommend when watching this drama, that you think of it as a standalone drama rather than a spinoff. If you leave the UWMA aspects out, Between Us is a good drama, so I enjoyed it. Boun and Prem gave amazing performances and I will probably rewatch it a couple times since I really enjoyed Boun's acting here.
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Running circles around each other
Okay I am going to break it down my couples. This show didn’t take long at all. I could actually get through it and eat and drink and not completely loose my appetite like it’s lovely parent drama, until we meet again. The average was an 8.8, but a bitch rounded down.Win + Team
These two have great chemistry with their 8 shows together. Uh I loved their dynamic. Win was getting on my nerves though. Teams crying and everything felt so real. Good couple and I am glad they got this necessary but also really unnecessary spin off.
Dean + Pharm
Glad these two still got some screen time in this one. It’s interesting to see a different side of their dynamic and stuff. Glad it focused on them but didn’t make the whole thing about them and what the first one was about. Love these two to bits.
Pruek + Manow
My favorite and only straight couple. The scene where Manow got spun around was actually the cutest thing ever I couldn’t. Pruek can do no wrong he is the biggest green flag ever and I am really glad he got her to open up to him and their dynamic is really cute and I’m glad they got more screen time.
Wan + Tul
I didn’t not even expect these mother fuckers to pull through but they did and more. He forgave him mad fast, but he is like I’m old bruh pickings are slim. And the way they looked at each other had me actually going crazy. And then the necessary tity sucking scene banger. Great couple needed slightly more screen time.
Bee + Prince
Our last lovely lovely couple. These two were cute. The actor who played Prince is actually such a cutie, I mean they all are really, but his beauty was definitely overlooked. The way he talked and held himself was just magnificent. Their little scene in bed was so cute and Prince coming to support his bae was so cute.
Great show with an even greater cast. I feel like they could have finished this sooner but who doesn’t love some sexual frustration and tension. Not even bad at all. Okay now I’m onto bed friends which I’m hype for.
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WHEN ONE NIGHT STAND TURNS INTO LOVE
I had mixed feelings after the first episode of Between Us. It took me a bit to get into it, but I’m glad I stuck with it. This was actually my first time watching BounPrem, and I had no idea who they were before this, now they’re definitely one of my favorites! Their chemistry is undeniable and really makes the show.It’s a pretty typical BL drama set in a university, and the chemistry between the leads is great, but there’s one thing that kind of put me off: Team’s character. I get that he’s supposed to be younger than Win, but he came off as too immature for my taste. I only really see Win putting in the effort for their relationship, and it felt like Team wasn’t matching his energy. That made things a bit frustrating for me.
The series moves at a slow pace, which isn’t always a bad thing, but if you’re looking for something fast-paced, this might not be for you. The kissing and bed scenes, though? Super natural and comfortable, which I appreciated.
One of my favorite parts of the show was Win’s brother’s love story, it added a nice bit of excitement and drama. And BeePrince’s side story? Totally adorable. I just wish they had more screen time!
There are so many couples though, and sometimes it got overwhelming trying to keep up with all of them. It felt like too much at times.
Overall, it’s a solid BL with a few hiccups, but definitely worth watching for the chemistry and the sweet moments.
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WinTeam for the win, but too many other relationships
As other reviews state, this show does lack a solid plot and storyline. Normally that would deter me from watching or finishing a show, but surprisingly, their relationship and the plot that it did have was enough to keep me hooked. One of the things I disliked the most about Until We Meet Again was that Pharm and Dean's relationship was so innocent they didn't even seem like they were dating. In Between Us, not only is there a strong sense of romantic tension, but also sexual tension, something UWMA lacked altogether. I found myself more invested in Win and Team's relationship than Pharm and Dean's.My first problem with this show is the fact that it was inconsistent with UWMA relationship-wise. The times where Team talks about Win in Between Us with Pharm and Manow did not exist in UWMA, so you only had a vague idea that Team liked Win until the end. Also, Manow and Pruek's relationship was not a thing in UWMA until the very end of the show, whereas in Between Us, it was developing the whole time. I enjoyed seeing more of Manow and Pruek's relationship, the timeline just didn't align with UWMA.
I also disliked the fact that there were five relationships. Bee and Prince's relationship, as well as Tul and Wan's relationship both felt unnecessary. The time they spent focusing on those two relationships could have been spent developing the other three. Of course we see a lot of Pharm and Dean in UWMA, but it would've been nice to see some different parts of their relationship that we didn't get to see before.
I would recommend watching this show and I can definitely see myself watching it again in the future.
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Less is More
I originally started this drama when it came out and I was super underwhelmed so I put it on hold.. After coming back to it years later I’m still fairly underwhelmed by certain aspects but I really enjoyed Team and Win enough to finish.I could honestly rant about all the things I disliked but instead I’ll just say this that this drama would’ve been better if there were less side stories. I personally feel like Team and Win’s story had so much potential and it started off strong but the drama would’ve benefited more if it was shorter and the main/only focus was them. (The only semi interesting side couple was Wan and Tul and they barely got screen time.) I also didn’t enjoy how drawn out/forgotten the whole drowning arc was considering how important it was to Team’s character.
Ultimately this drama had a lot of weak points but the comedic moments and the chemistry between Team and Win helped. I also have a new love for Boun and Prem so it’s a win in my book!
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Wasn't horrible but still disappointing.
A lot of fans were looking forward to this series and hyping the couple up so this being the result is just disappointing. It's not the worst BL series ever but it just didn't live up to the hype. Until We Meet Again was considered a classic because it introduced a new genre to the Thai BL world and showed that BL can be more than just romance. UWMA did such a good job at juggling the plot with both romance and mystery. Because of it, we got series like Manner of Death and KinnPorsche. So having this be the follow up? It's just not it.And I get it, they want it to be a separate story. They want something different from UWMA and this was supposed to be a fun, romance story like most BLs out there. That's the worst part though. The romance they're focusing on is NOT THERE. There's literally no tension between the characters. It honestly just feels like Win is taking care of Team as a brother and they see each other as siblings rather than romantic partners. Without the occasional kiss, you would not remember they were lovers. It does make sense that Team seeks a brotherly figure after his brother died.
Also doesn't help that they have this many side couples. They have 4 side couples. Meaning, we're watching 5 different love stories play out at the same time. This is just Waterboy all over again in that there's so many side couples that none of them are well done and there isn't enough for the audience to be attached to.
This is in no way on par with UWMA. It isn't even on par with other BL series that focuses on romance.
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Loved how every character had an arc to explore
It was enjoyable to watch. The storyline was set beautifully with each characters having their own arches. The story treated one of the biggest but under used concept in stories, consent and for that reason, Between Us deserves it's own flowers.Plot was simple but well founded. The background story of Team really wrecked me. It was really build well and Team's character reflected his past well. Win's character, in the rarity of on screen shows, was a huge green flag. The idea of slowly falling in love was shown perfectly. I wish we could have gotten some more time to explore the side couples. They all had such unique characteristics. The romantic scenes of main couple was really heart fluttering and certain moments still lingers in my memories.
The cinematography was modest. The direction on few places felt a little slow but the casual talks or going out to eat, these things were done so naturally. The swimming scenes were fantastically captured.
The entire cast did amazing. It's rare to have the entire cast having their own charismatic style but each of them truly shined throughout the show. Great acting.
One of the BL classics from Wabi Sabi. Definitely worth watching.
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Kinda disspaointed.
So. I have been waiting for 2 years for this? I genuienly loved WinTeam in season one but in between us i honestly just started skipping their scenes at the end to get to the side couple scenes which there were not many.I feel like acting is not why the show was a disaster, bounprem did a goor job and their chemistry was good.
Now, my main issue with this series was. WinTeam's issue was so DRAGGED to the last episode, and so many of the episode just felt like filler. And their whole plot point was 'one problem' just repeating.
I saw one person mention WinTeam do not have enough plot for a whole 12 episodes, but honestly thats fine they could have just got more scenes of the side couples and voilà PROBLEM FIXED.
SIDE COUPLES: this is what im most upset about, they dragged on winteam's story line to the end but refused to give Prince/Bee and Waan/Tul and actual storyline and SCENES. THEY GAVE THEM FUCKING NOTHING
SPOILER:
in episode 11 i do feel, that the climax is good but what should have been a short car drive, turned out to be a whole PLANE FLIGHT. It was dragged on to the point i didn't even feel as much during the emotional confession.
POSITIVES:
Just view. I loved him. Scenes with him were SO GOOD.
The side couples were bomb, Prince/Bee and Waan/Tul esp. The last 👀 Waan Tul scene was SO GOOD. came out of nowhere but i was pleasantly surprised.
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Loved it but some parts were wtf is going on
I generally loved a lot tof things about this drama, i loved WinTeam in UWMA so i was super excited for this series. I loved almost all parts of the storyline of WinTeam, DeanPharm felt very repetitive as ive already watched UWMA, enjoyed PhreukManow to an extent too. The other two couple felt unnecessary or unimportant for almost all the series, at least Tul and Waan storyline had a connection to hold on to but Bee and Prince storyline felt like it was thrown out of nowhere. Also some of the acting felt extremely cringe and unnatural from side characters. But for what it was WinTeam storyline was good and serious yet funny at times and would've loved if the story focused on them more rather than adding unnecessary pairing.Was this review helpful to you?
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Slow burn but deep, meaningful pairings
If you’re looking for lots of casual skin scenes then this is probably not for you. The first few chapters are slow burn but set the scene for what is to follow very nicely and this a well cast, well acted team who deliver beautifully.The plot centres on Team, a first year student with a scholarship because of his swimming talent, and Win a third year student with commitment issues.
They hook up almost immediately upon meeting each other for the first time and for them the rest of the story is one of the development of love as well as trust that the other person in their life feels as they do and accepts them flaws and all. One is wracked with guilt for what happened in his childhood and the other has a dysfunctional family that he is trying to keep together.
The majority of the support characters, who are predominantly students as the same university, explore their own feelings through a well balanced, well written plot as young, inexperienced adults tentatively navigating their way through the ups and downs of life.
The chemistry of all the actors is great and the production values anre excellent though I will admit the grow out length of Wim’s hair kept changing which I found off putting. There were a couple of scenes that were a bit wooden or stilted (Win’s father for example came from the Ham School of Wooden Acting) but on the whole it was a well performed series.
As a retired swimming teacher/junior coach was pleasantly surprised that the actors could actually swim (ok, so much of the technique was that of a 12 year old competitive swimmer but even so) and that the races looked reasonably realistic so hats off to all those involved in these scenes.
Would I watch again? Maybe not as there are so many other dramas out there on my list, but if I have a spare few hours to kill I could revisit it.
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