Lovely Writer

Cringy

I have nothing to say about the plot, because I couldn't focus enough on it due to the fact that most of the casts were so cringy and unnatural on camera. (Save for Gene (acted by Up Poompat Iam-samang - he was amazing, one of the best I 've seen from a Thai Drama actually) and then some of the supporting characters like the director etc)

I have watched a few Thai dramas actually, and it never failed to amuse me how awkward the casts can be on camera. One and two ocassions would be fine, but when it is thrown too often into the mix, even the most interesting of shows would turn bad. It made me wonder, was it a Thai Drama thing? (But, like I said, Up Poompat Iam-samang was amazing at his role, why can't others be too?)

I wish I could ignore the acting and just focus on the story, but I couldn't because they were super unconvincing.

End of rant.

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One time watch

I was a bit hesitant to watch the series because I felt like it would have a much darker tone as the series was supposed to explore the toxicity surrounding the BL industry. I was surprised to see it was much light hearted than I anticipated. I would say it is a good one time watch kinda series.

Postives-
1.The actors did a great job potraying their characters.

2. The cinematographers and costume designers did a very good job.

Negatives -

1. Tbh during the first few episodes , I was extremely annoyed by the exaggerated sound effects to the point I wanted stop watching it.

2. The series was trying to be serious and comical at the same time , thus the results seems to be a mush of both not in good way

Story telling and characters:

1.Despite liking the acting , I didnt relate to any character other than Gene and Aey at certain scenes

2. Gene was the most explored character in the series. We got to see Gene as a person outside of his relationship with Sib. I loved his relationship with his parents, collegues and friends.

3. On the other hand, Nubsib being the main lead wasn't explored at all. There was nothing about his character other than his love towards Gene.He was shown as this cold guy who is rude to his manager , coworker and everyone other than Gene. Thus we dont know anything about him as a person other than he loves Gene

4. Aey was a character I liked and disliked at the same time. I really felt bad for him for how he was treated by his family. Again , his character was given no development in this series. Since the creators went out of their way to give a backstory to him in the first half of the series , I hoped he will have a redemption arc somwhere towards the end. Yes ,he did an awful thing to the main couple.But it was kind of sad to watch everyone just leaving him in the end. Someone should have gotten him the help he needed since he seem to be going through a tough time even in the last episode.

5. Tum and Tiffy's relationship and even their individual backstory was rather nice. I feel like there should have been more scenes of them as they seems to have just disappeared for a few episodes only to come back randomly when necessary. Tum and his sister's relationship was not really explored . Tiffy and Aey barely had any scenes together , same goes for Sib and Tum. I couldnt figure out the work relationship dynamic between Tum and Sib at all. Sib seems to have no respect towards Tum most of the time.

6.Another unexplored character was Hin. He literally disappeared from the show for most part of it. Even though his character was given a closure , there was barely anything we know about his characters other than he is gene's assistant and he writes . He comes and goes from the series without much of a purpose.

7. Despite having a lot of plot holes, I did love how it portrayed the importance of consent and communication in a relationship. It was refreshing to see how caring and loving the couple were towards each other. The best plotline of the story I would say is the coming out episodes. It was well written and acted. The potrayal of toxicity in the industry and fandoms were kept to a bare minimum . They could have explored on this subject much more. Something that confused me was how they got together after the huge break up in the last episode. For a couple who communicated extremely well throughout the series, they got back together without talking to each other about how they will face such a situation in case that happens in future.


I would say , the series as a whole is a one time watch if you like the actors.

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The plot is mysterious. As to what sense it all has:-) An average author accidentally creates BL sensation by inserting some hot gay scenes in one of his novels (he actually loves to write fantasy or horror) so his publisher is now pushing him to write such stuff. He is a lonely gay guy of average looks who lives alone so all his dreams and fantasies come alive when this perfectly handsome guy starts living with him and seducing him. Only problem: Why??

One thing is the author is actually invited on the shooting set, when they make a BL drama out of his book. He's not even that interested, only lets himself being dragged into it... Kinda makes no sense as we all know on every set, there is a director who wants to direct his vision and there are actors who keep asking him "what is my motivation in this scene?" daily and there is a producer who wants to see return of his money and then there is a scriptwriter who wants to see his script done right and that already is enough annoyance for the director. NO ONE wishes to see the book author on the set, unless it's J.K. Rowling and that is the exception which CONFIRMS the rule.

But our "lovely writer" gets included in the whole production process for some reason (no reason, really) since the casting. Many "pretty boys" come to that casting. One looks girly (perfect cast), one looks "hot" (main cast) and one is actually attractive (side-cast). Now, the "hot main guy" makes a move on the shy book author and tries to impress him since day one. He even moves in with him under some ridiculous excuse. Kisses him after 1 day or so. He keeps smirking when "no one is looking". Only thing left mysterious is what's supposed to be the reason he's trying to seduce the writer so hard. Should't he be rather sucking up to the director?

So much for the unrealistic plot, but what is real... is the kissing!:-) So BL fans, attention. First kiss comes in episode 2 and it's a long, good REAL KISS. Yeah, rare, right? Why this like never happens in any series where would it be REALLY exciting? Here, we are watching the guys snogging before we really know them, and 10 more episodes remain. Will there be some explanation for all this in there somewhere?

Next episode continues with the actor being all over the book author (actually overdoing it quite a bit). It's starting to get boring. The author is really not a looker. The actor behaves like his life or death depends upon seducing him... Then the author gets drunk and goes for it with him but even that doesn't satisfy the actor. Obviously his goal is to really get to him. I would prefer watching the fictional BL drama side-guy getting on with the girly one than these two, but never mind.

I got to smile... 'Coz next epi my wish got fullfilled:-) I mean there was a kiss scene of the two secondary guys in question:-) First it was awkward, the girly guy was really girly, I mean he was carrying a totally girl's handbag, LOL. But I gotta say I did enjoy it because by then I was already tired of the main couple, I didn't really like neither the author nor the actor, so I switched my attention to this couple. Theirs was a hot kiss, preceded by a nasty family scene (turns out this secondary couple actually had way more interesting backstory all along). Emotions were hightened and kissing real. Very well. Even straight dramas (which tend to have way more build up) should be like this. Not just the gay ones in episode 5.

Then episode 6 the connection between the author & actor gets revealed, for their plot to finally have at least slightest sense. Well, better late than later:-) Also it was time for them to beat the drama of the secondary couple (like, the scene of Aey crying on the friend's lap was kinda stealing thunder of any other character in this drama). Episode 7 features author & actor getting all mushy, I completely zoned out and ended up looking outside the screen. My eyes returned when there was a kiss on the bed, but I don't really ship these two.

Anyways then there comes the premiere of the fictional BL (it's called 'Bad Engineer'... my, what can THAT be a referrence to, lol). It's a funny look from the other side where we can see that all it takes is to take a few moderately handsome guys, put them in school uniforms, make them shoot a couple over the top "drama" scenes featuring some kissing and a crowd of screaming fans appears. The book author is present even at this event (I'm no longer commenting on how that's absurd) and sits directly next to the drama "stars". They make those play one scene "live" on stage. It features a few ostentatiously stupid dialogue lines and, of course, a kiss. But that they don't do.

Episode 9... The main couple is fun again:-) And their bed scene is georgeous. Skinship is incomparable with any thai BL I have seen, it's more comparable with us/uk production. Interesting that the series mocking the BL genre would have such good BL scenes itself. If such scenes would happen within stories I really enjoyed, or couples I really shipped, I would have fainted. This is how it should look like. Also family scenes with members disapproving of gay relationships are good here for both couples.

Episode 11 it starts getting dumb. Actor & author's relationship gets revealed to public. Aey is crying in front of his fans on a livestream (makes little sense, there is nothing in between Aey and the actor, at least THIS actor:) and the publisher scolds the author that their sales have dropped. Which is even less believable, we all know any publicity is a publicity, and if not love triangles, then what are all dramas about?:-) Aey keeps crying. Unlike episode 5, for completely unknown reason. Actor & author's relationship is in crisis, which clearly has the "last episode crisis" purpose only. We know it's gonna get solved in the last epi, followed by happy end (just like in any other show this series partially mocked). During final episode I was seriously bored, I nearly fell asleep. Then they tried some goofying towards the very end, I would appreciated it more if they reversed Aey back from playing the silly "nang'rai" and we'd see some continuation on what we watched in episode 5, but never mind.

Now, how to rate series that was so good and so bad? Then, perfect average has to be given.

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Lacking

This series was boring, I’ll say it right now. After the first couple episodes, my interest just dropped. I had ceased watching it for a bit because it didn’t catch my attention. The characters are cute but they can’t make up for the bad plot. I had to speed up the episodes because the show dragged on. There are funny bits but they get replaced by the lack of true substance.

The music was all over the place ; when a character was crying in one scene, the main theme started playing out of nowhere... like, what a great way to ruin a emotional scene! The sound effects also felt cartoonish and OTT.

Speaking of OTT, can we talk about these characters? Almost all of the characters are over the top. This is supposed to be a realistic take and a glimpse into the BL industry, but it’s so unrealistic.

I sadly don’t recommend this show... I hope to see these actors in better projects.

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IT WAS JUST LOVELY

Having just finished "My Stand In," where Up (Gene) delivered a captivating performance, I was curious to explore his earlier work in "Lovely Writer." While both series feature Up in leading roles, "Lovely Writer" adopts a decidedly lighter tone. It's a charming and heartwarming watch, perfect for unwinding after a long day. However, when compared to the depth and complexity of "My Stand In," "Lovely Writer" feels a touch less substantial.

The characters in "Lovely Writer" are a delightful bunch. Up portrays Gene, a university student who dreams of becoming a novelist. He's paired with Kao, played by Kao (Nubsib), a fellow student and aspiring actor. Their journey from initial misunderstandings to a blossoming romance is both endearing and entertaining. However, the series falters slightly in its character development. The central conflict, where their relationship faces disapproval from their parents, is resolved rather quickly, leaving some room for a missed opportunity in terms of emotional payoff.

Another character, Aoey, initially comes across as sweet and supportive of Gene. However, his personality takes a peculiar turn later in the series, bordering on cringe-worthy and out of character. This inconsistency could have been rectified by giving Aoey a more defined antagonistic role. Up's performance is commendable, though it leans towards a more reserved portrayal compared to his more dynamic role in "My Stand In." Kao delivers an acceptable performance, but his character could have benefited from greater depth in his expressions. The supporting characters, including Gene's and Nubsib's families, are portrayed by familiar faces from Thai dramas and add a touch of warmth to the narrative. Notably, the revelation about Gene's father having a boyfriend before marrying his mother sheds light on his initial resistance to accepting his own relationship with Nubsib.

The plot of "Lovely Writer" revolves around the blossoming romance between Gene and Nubsib, fueled by their shared passion for storytelling. The series incorporates the unique concept of their fictional novel reflecting their real-life experiences. This adds a layer of meta-humor and keeps the narrative engaging. However, some conflicts, such as the aforementioned parental disapproval, are resolved rather swiftly, diminishing the potential for emotional impact. The series also introduces the intriguing character of Mhok, who could have played a more significant role in influencing Aoey's character development. An interesting aspect of the drama is the inclusion of a scene where producers, directors, and the CEO intervene to discuss the future of Gene and Nubsib's relationship. This scene adds a touch of realism, reflecting similar situations that might occur in the real BL production world.

"Lovely Writer" is a light and enjoyable watch, offering a delightful escape into the world of BL novels and budding romance. While the series stumbles slightly in its character development and occasional pacing issues, it makes up for it with its charm and feel-good atmosphere. If you're looking for a heartwarming and relaxing drama, "Lovely Writer" is definitely worth adding to your watchlist. However, if you crave something with more depth and emotional complexity, you might find "My Stand In," featuring a more nuanced performance by Up, to be a more satisfying choice.

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I forgot why I even want to watch this in the first place... But for sure just another drama to be added to my list...

Let's begin...

This drama told a story of Gene, the writer. He wanted to write story about mystery, but instead his publisher gave him task to write BL novel & it exploded with success. This drama started with Gene book choose to be adapt into series. And there where's he met Nubsib, the main actor of his drama. When the story started to run, we learn that admiration Nubsib had for Gene is nothing light & he really loves him with all the jealousy... How will the story run from here forward...?

Ok. What now let's discuss what I like and don't like. First as usual, what I like. Cause I gonna write a little bit spoiler in the part of what I don't like

What I like:
+ The harsh reality of the industry. Both publishing and entertainment industry. We see how much Gene get pressure from his editor, even to put the things he didn’t want to write in the book. And later we also see how harsh the entertainment industry…
+ Nubsib, Gene & Aoey all have good manager that thinks for them not only for the industry.
+ The cute story of Gene & Nubsib past relationship.
+ What a supported Gene & Nubsib family…

Overall this just another title to added to my list...

Below I'll write what I don’t like. But that's also mean a little SPOILER ALERT!!! So read it with ur own risk!!!












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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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Now what I don’t like:
- Nubsib is one stubborn kind. The stubborn not always in good side. Like how he insisted his relationship with Gene, he even talked about break the contract. Some people maybe find it romantic, but for me that just scream irresponsible…
- I don’t understand why Gene angry with Nubsib, when he learned that they actually know each other from childhood. Nubsib never really mention he didn’t know Gene in the first place, why Gene must feel Nubsib lied to him & angry about it…
- Until the last I still don’t really get a grip of how Aoey character really is. Is he one cunning man? One man that looked for attention? Or what his character really is? I just know for sure he is one lonely man. Unfortunately, we also don’t get much of history of Aoey. There’s a little bit about him & I hope to see a little bit more of it.
- The ending… UGH!!! Feel like anticlimactic after what happen with Gene & Nubsib family.

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One of the best BL's out there

I went into this series very late in the game. But I'm so glad I watched it. This series made me cry. It made me laugh. It broke my heart and then mended it back together again. The acting is phenomenal from Kao and Up. Kao does such a great job portraying his care for Gene. Up's portrayal of Gene's hesitance toward Nubsib is just fantastic. Not to mention Bruce; I felt for Aoey so much and I understood where he was coming from because of Bruce's acting. The finale alone makes watching the entire series a must. I have never seen such a good final episode from a Thai BL. It had me sobbing out of sadness and then sobbing out of pure joy. Overall, if you have any hesitation about watching it: don't. It's so worth it. I would recommend this series to anyone, literally anyone, who wants a good binge show or just a casual thing to enjoy. Easily top five favorite series.

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U N I Q U E

You know it’s good when it has the power of telling you what it’s about from just the title but still surprising you every step of the way. This is BL was really well written, the writer should be really proud themself. The casting was almost perfect (in my opinion) and soundtrack is beautiful. The story progressed so nicely and the actors did major justice to their character. Everyone character in the series is likeable all the way down to the villain. This BL has a uniqueness about it that will be really hard to replicate it’s lovely refresher from all the cliche titles we often watch.

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UHHH...

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD -- Review #9

I guess I began 2025 with a drama curse because I can't seem to find something that talks to me besides one hidden gem among, at best, mediocre titles. Lovely Writer is not a gem.

I have a love-hate relationship with Thai BLs, as I find them mediocre or straight-up fails; just a couple of Thai BLs were enjoyable to watch. But let's back to Lovely Writer.

The premise was nice enough for me to watch it, but that's about it. A somewhat fresh perspective of the industry, with a sprinkle of love, seemed something that could pick my interest, and for three episodes it delivered. Then, the plot shifted to drama nonsense.
1- PREMISES: I liked that the drama initially wanted to address the shadows of an ever-growing industry: break stereotypes, toxic fan behaviors, etc. I sometimes think we tend to idolize an artificial world, forgetting that it's made of people and capitalism ready to crush them for profit. BUT. LW failed to portray this issue properly, shifting abruptly to drama.
2- DRAMA FOR DRAMA'S SAKE & PLOT HOLES: 97% of episodes are filled with nonsensical and foolish action. Characters do stupid things without a reason, like they want to throw drama at the public. The same goes for the script: it doesn't make sense and gets boring quickly. At episode 11 scriptwriters suddenly remember they have a drama to wrap up instead of going all lovey-dovey, so they start throwing p00p like they were monkeys hoping the pile will become a functioning plot by magic.
3- SOCIAL THEMES: I liked that social themes, like one's sexual identity, were addressed decently. There's still room for improvement though.
4- CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TROPE: It's time to stop. - FilthyFrank
5- LEADS: There were cute interactions between Nubsib and Gene, I have to admit it.
Despite that, I can't say acting-wise I was amazed: only Up (Gene) managed to deliver a solid performance.
6- SOUND EFFECTS BULK DISCOUNT: I guess SFX was on sale in Thailand then. Result? Too many, too frequently. They annoyed me.

PROS:
- Promising start > breaking stereotypes in the BL industry
- Cute interactions between leads
- Social themes addressed in an OK manner

CONS:
- Plot doesn't make sense
- Childhood friends trope
- Characters' actions do not make any sense
- What's with that cringe amount of sound effects?

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Lovely show

This was cute and I enjoyed it overall. I struggled through the first half and almost dropped it twice by episode 9 because it was just so slow at some parts!

Some episodes were an hour and a half and so much silence and nothingness happened. It drove me crazy. But when the plot was plotting it was really good. Perhaps it would've been better if it were a shorter series and filler was cut down.

Other thoughts:
-Aeoy was so frustrating, I couldn't believe he romantically liked anyone tbh. He had no chemistry with anyone.
-Gene's freakout over the past history was a little dramatic.
-The coming out (ep 9) was emotional, and important to this show. Very well done!

This is the epitome of slow burn, but it is worth the watch for the sweet romance story.

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Strong Start, Weak Progress

This show had its potential, it was a good story and it could’ve been executed a bit better. The beginning of the show was good, I was actually contemplating continuing the show based on first few minutes of episode 1 because it didn’t necessarily catch my attention enough to want to continue but I still did regardless. I liked, somewhat, how the story was developing but as each episode went by my interest in the show declined as well as the storyline itself. I feel like this show would’ve been better if it was shorter in the episodes, like maybe each episode being 40-50 min max but 1 hour and 17 or 20 minutes it’s just too long. Some scenes felt too long and boring and I just couldn’t continue after episode 8. After seeing a preview of episode 8 I realized that they were just gonna keep adding random drama to this show to make it “interesting” but it didn’t play well. Usually by episode 8 I slow down and maybe watch another show or something and then continue where I left off but this one didn’t give me any motivation to continue, so dropping it is. I gave this a 7, because it wasn’t necessarily extremely bad, it kept me somewhat entertained for 8 episodes and that says a lot, but it also made me feel bored at times and for that a 7 is a perfect score.

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Interesting Story with A Great Premise

**Brief Synopsis**
B (Writer): Gene
T (Actor): Nubsib

Beginning: B is a BL write whose series is getting a TV series. During the casting for this series, B meets T, a new actor interested in acting one of the male leads. From the start, T shows a lot of interest towards B and even asks the help of B’s friend, who just happens to be his manager, to convince B to let him stay at his loft. Because T says he has no place to live, B agreed. As they start living together, T tries numerous ways to flirt with B, including asking him for help rehearsing lines and then kissing him in the name of practice. Slowly but surely, B starts to feel other feelings for T as well.

Middle: While their relationship develops, T continues to act in the drama he had auditioned for, the one based on B’s book.

End: Before they could have their happy ending, there are three obstacles. First while on a trip to his family home, B realizes that T has lied about everything, that he was actually his childhood friend and that he actually had a place to stay. Devastated, he tells T to get out, but T doesn’t. In the morning, T explains to him the reason he lied was to get B to stop looking at him as a kid. Although B ends up forgiving him, he still asks T to move out so they could start afresh. Apart from this problem, the couple also dealt with letting their parents know about their relationship. Finally, on a trip to the beach, videos of them being intimate on the beach is uploaded, making fans of the upcoming series furious that he wasn’t single. In order to save this show B and T are ordered to stay apart for a while until it dies down. B knows its for the best so despite how sad it was making him, they stopped meeting up for some time. The series end with them getting back together.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT
- I like how they showed how a BL show is produced from casting to final marketing. I like how the ensemble cast isn’t too cringey or awkward.
- I like the plot a lot, because it’s new and not everything is focused on the relationship. Apart from the relationship, the whole series production thing is also very interesting to watch.
- I really like how the main characters looked together. They are a cute couple and the way B shows affection, careful and sweet, is just heart melting. Sure B is gloomy most of the time but when he smiles, normally because of T, it’s extremely sweet.
- The editing was nice and the pace was nice. It’s not too fast or too slow and their relationship feels well developed and not rushed.
- I like how B isn’t thinking T is cheating on him.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT
- I didn’t like they spent a lot of time developing a het relationship.
- B can get a little gloomy but that is part of his personality.
- I didn’t like how many characters they tried to develop.
- There is a lack of intimate scenes, and kissing scenes are weird because they give a detail look of the kiss and its obvious it’s fake kissing, I would have preferred if they only showed it from afar.
- Acting can get a little too much, especially when it comes to side characters. They tend to exaggerate their moments, making certain characters rather cringey.
- This is really slow burn as they officially get together in the last episode (they get together earlier then that but there were always things threatening to split them up but now with everything resolved, they are together).

**Conclusion**
This is an adorable show with an interesting plot that should be given a chance.

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