This review may contain spoilers
Freedom is the oxygen of the soul
Not me has to be one of the best Thai BLs I’ve ever watched. I’ve seen the praise for it for months, so I came in with high expectations and I can tell you I was NOT disappointed.STORY/PLOT : 7.5/10
The premise of this show was interesting from start to end, you could really tell the writers/directors put a lot of thought and purpose into it. The balance between action, mystery, social commentary, and romance was handled well for the most part and you don’t see that in a lot of BLs. The only gripe I have with this would be the pacing and a few plot holes. The first few episodes were pretty slow and more than once it felt a little too convoluted, but after I’d say, episode 6 or so, the pace really picked up and things definitely got a lot more interesting. Also, the ending.. I was happy with it because who doesn’t like a hopeful ending? But it was bit too quick or..easy for me, I guess. It really just left things to be desired.
CHARACTERS: 9.5/10
Each character was charming in their own way. I don’t think there was a character on screen that I wasn’t completely engaged in. Really liked how the female characters had goals and passions and were just overall PEOPLE and not one dimensional objects to help push the m/m romance along. Not only romance, but the friendships in this show were so refreshing, I will always love a good found family trope. Some characters weren’t as developed as I’d liked by the end, but I’d blame that on just not having enough time to flesh everyone out.
ROMANCE: 10/10
Sean and White’s build up to romance was refreshingly gradual and very cute to see. Seeing a couple just exist unapologetically queer, clear consent, and healthily developed was such a breath of fresh air and I loved every second of it. My favorite couple of this series though, has to go to Yok and Dan. The scene where they first arrived at Dan’s hide out and Yok was sketching him honestly made me tear up a little and solidified their chemistry and romance for me. The inevitable betrayal hurt so good and the forgiveness in the end, a promise to help pick up the pieces lost and hopefully build them back stronger, was beautiful to watch.
ACTING/CAST: 10/10
Gun (White/Black) has done it again. Absolutely phenomenal acting especially with such a difficult task of playing 2 different characters. The way you could clearly see the contrast between White and Black just goes to show how much work and effort he put into this role. I loved Off (Sean) in this role, I’m telling you, it felt like it came so naturally to him. Every facial expression and longing glance, you could tell he really embodied this character. First (Yok), Mond (Gram), Papang (Gumpa), and Fluke (Dan), all deserve their flowers too, not one character felt one dimensional or awkward, they all each had their own personality, faults, and goals, and it was really great to see.
MUSIC: 10/10
Loved it. Music can make or break a scene and ruin immersion but the way this team utilized it had me hooked and really did add to the tone of the episodes. Also appreciated the fact that they didn’t use any comedic sound effects in this show, definitely helped with the mature angle they went for.
PRODUCTION/CINEMATOGRAPHY: 10/10
Holy. Shit. I can say this with 100% certainty, I have never seen a BL look this good. I don’t know how many times I was just staring at my screen in awe, replaying a scene over and over because of how damn good it looked. Everything from the camera work, to the locations, to the clothing, to the lighting had a purpose to help tell this story and god damn did it work. The details they put into this production was absolutely jaw dropping.
OVERALL/TLDR: 9.5/10
This show is more than a BL. It’s a story of pain, heartbreak, social justice, corruption, but most of all hope. I will never stop recommending this. The shots were breathtaking, the characters felt real, the story was engaging, and it definitely surpassed any expectations I had going into it! ♡
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I still can't find anything better
Rambling:This is genuinely the best bl I have ever watched, I saw somebody said that the main couple didn't add anything to the storyline, but I'm actually glad about that. The main focus of the story isn't the couple. It's the problem of corruption in the Thai government and it didn't even have to be a bl but it just works.
The visuals are also absolutely stunning and the mood all the time made me feel like I was watching this in the theater. All alone at high quality(best feeling)
Gun's acting in this series it A work of art and he deserves a fucking award for it. He got everything thing right down to his chemistry with Off, it was off the charts.
I also like the fact that nothing is really sexualized, even sex isn't sexualized, everything is a art piece. Take Yok and Dan's nude painting scene, I felt the vulnerability too, like it gave me goosebumps I almost cried.
Final thoughts:
The cast and crew did a really good job with this and I recommend you watch it at least once in your life.
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Surpreendente
Tudo nesse bl me surpreendeu do começo ao fim, foram tantos plot twists um atrás do outro e eu sempre ficava em choque. A atuação dos OffGun nessa série é simplesmente impecável como em todas as outras que eles já fizeram juntos, a química deles é surreal e a forma em como eles conseguem transmitir isso é mais surreal ainda.Nem imagino o quão difícil deve ter sido gravar tudo, e com certeza deveria ter mais reconhecimento! Os meninos trabalharam duro e lançaram uma obra perfeita, impossível se desapontar assistindo isso.
OFFGUN COMO SEMPRE ARRASANDO!
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Never seen a BL like this before
If you are reading this before watching the series then I would suggest please do not watch the series just because it's a BL. Trust me before watching it I have heard this plenty of times that there's mo series like NOT ME and there really isn't. This has few heavy topics to deal with. I have never seen a BL like this before. It was not jist focusing on romance between two guys but much mkre than that. It showcased the corrupted society, oppression of common people, misuse of power, injustice against the weak, the relationship between parents and their kids and definitely the rise of youth. And in between them these boys find true love, true love that gave them the strength to fight. This showcased the rebellious side of youth and how of united we can overcome anything. I want more people to talk about just how impactful this drama is on youth, encouraging us to fight against corruption. The amazing acting served by Off Gun Mond First and Papang gabe this series a new height. The editing, direction and plotting is well made. I have to say Not Me probably has the besy soundtrack collection in the entire BL industry. If you are watching it good luck you are in for a ride.Was this review helpful to you?
no words needed
A MASTERPIECE, truly the writers did such a good job and the series is one of a kind, in my 1 and a half year watching bl’s i didnt find another bl even close to not me, the cast, the acting, cinematography, ost, everything is perfect, the actors chemistry is on top, and they should cast offgun in more series like not me! i really hope to see more bl’s like this in the future because i didnt see any bl with similar story, im really glad the talked about the politics and marriage equality, along with many more serious topic!! truly the bestWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of my favorites - What I like/not like list
I liked:- The story. Be gay, do crime, fight capitalism. Yes.
- The acting, especially Gun's acting. He did an amazing job!!
- The script. It shows an understanding of the topics, which I always very much appreciate, but in this particular case I think it was decisive to make it a good story and not a cringy one.
- Honestly, loved the series.
- Black and White characters, and how Black was with everyone else vs his brother.
Not fond of:
- Them showing their tattoos and wearing flashy clothes and masks while doing their activism. It doesn't make sense in reality.
- The abrupts changes and stops of music, not fond of music production here in general.
- Yok and Dan getting back together. Still I think it was adequate because of the message of the story, but ugh, cops and betrayal, not a combination I can forgive easily.
- Gram and Gene getting together at the end. I love Gram, but girl, you can do better than keep dating the same group of friends.
- As always, I'd liked more development, more episodes. But it's ok.
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Music saved this series
I was hesitant to watch this because I am not a Gun fan. I know he is popular but, for me, he only has one face and that is a blank stare. He did not win me over.On the other hand, the rest of the cast was great. I was pleasantly surprised at how good Off is in this series. Plus, First kept me hanging in there every episode. His emotional acting in the hospital was unbelievable. I love him.
The story was very confusing at times and I didn’t know what they were doing and why. But it was still exciting to watch.
The music was outstanding. GMMtv production is always great with the best quality video, locations, and music.
I won’t rewatch this but it still gets a 7.
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One of the best action series in BL history.
I think this is the best BL ever.The story is amazing, actors are perfect and actions are understandable.
The only thing that bothered me a bit was the storyline between Black and Gram. I saw that people say that Gram was "Straight-washed", but i dont think that's necessarily the case. Although I think it's a bit odd for Gram to be in a relationship with the ex of his especially close friend. I mean they spent every single day together and are kind of close, so why?
However, the thing I enjoyed the most was the Story between White and Sean. Their Chemistry was amazing, the way they cared for each other was just adorable. I loved every single second of them.
I also really enjoyed watching the bond between Black and White and how it deepens throughout the series.
And OMG, THE MUSIC???? 10000/10
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A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!
I love this so much, it gives me so much comfort and I love the fact that the couples aren't the main plot properly, like I didn't even know that there'd be a couple when I started watching. The way they talk about social problems is amazing. I wish we had YokGram tho, they'd be perfect. Even the OST and soundtrack are amazing.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best drama I have watch!!
So this is the first time ever I’m writing review so I might Not be able to include everything I wanna do. I’m new in bl world and I have watched multiples of drama and only few of them good stories and plots . And to be honest ‘Not me’ is the best one. In ‘ Not Me ‘ every casting is too good. All the casting’s acting are so on the point like everyone has portrayed every emotion on the point like from faith to disappointment, trust to betrayal hate to love happiness to sadness rage to revenge, like every emotions are so good as you can even feel them. And yes this is the only drama that I have watched where there’s nothing cringe especially the female cast. The story is on the spot and the plots are so good.The very first drama of OffGun I watched was ‘theory of love’ and they has been my favorite since then. They portray every character so naturally especially ‘Gun’ . He has done acting so naturally like it never felt on and off. As you watch his every drama you’ll get that. And in ‘Not me ‘ he has done his best work. He had shown two different characters and both are on the top. I have never seen the cold and rude side of Gun and he totally nailed the character. I really want him to act such more character like gangster damn!! (Actually I’m writing this review to praise ’Gun’s’ work like he is the show’s stealer and he deserves every compliment)
As a whole the whole drama is so good. You’ll never feel bore or anything but excitement. I’m little bit confused with the ending but yes overall the drama is on the top.
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A series worth remembering for years to come!
I finished this series a few minutes ago. and am so happy to have found it!The plot was what some would call a "basic" idea, but it impressed me beyond words. - It follows White and Black (yes, I know; who names their kids Black and White? But bare with me, because it works really well for them), a pair of twins that got separated ten years ago because of their ability to feel the other one's feelings; ex. when dying or feeling extremely happy. But Black gets into an accident, making White join his gang to find out who it was who hurt Black - while pretending to be Black, aka taking his place.
Some hiccups of the production would be the extremely abrupt jumps from scenes. It made me kinda confused the first few times, thinking my computer was acting up. But if you just look past it, I'm sure you'll adore the series. The soundtrack is beautiful, the plot well written and the characters are rounded with lots of perspectives of life.
And the ACTING; yo! Gun Atthaphan's acting gave me chills at times. Especially when he had to act like two completely different characters (the twins), even sometimes in the same scene at once. He's so f*cking talented, it's beyond anything I've seen in a Bl Drama before. He made me love White and despise Black, being the same face for both of them. - And the other actors, and actresses (there's even a trans character!) are really good too. But Gun stood out to me, not gonna lie.
The series also takes up some interesting perspectives on life, especially societal struggles, making you reflect on your own society and laws. It shone a bright light on rich people acting above the law, while the lower society had to take the scraps thrown at them. - But it also shows no regard to whether the characters in question are gay or not. There's not a single character that acts up when two guys enter a relationship, and it's such a nice change from past BL dramas, not gonna lie.
If you've read this far; please give it a chance. I promise that you won't regret it! It's a "mafia" gang, going up against the rich, with QUEER sprinkled all over the place. What more can you want?
What I loved most about this series though was the fact that I really couldn't see where the plot was leading at times. I always tend to have a gut feeling about where the characters are heading. But this one made me think and think and think, making me crazy at times. And that was really special to me, making the series ten times more enjoyable.
GO WATCH IT NOW!
- Samuel, 2023
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Still the most unique and brilliant BL to this day
Not Me was one of my first ever BLs from GMM TV, I watched originally it as it was airing. Let’s just say anything after it seemed very basic and also boringI’ve never seen a BL since which has such an incredible and unique story, which shows the issues in Thai society and politics
The characters are also really enticing, and the acting is simply one of the best I’ve seen in a BL. Gun nailed it as Black and White, and Off too as Sean
It sure isn’t for everyone, but it’s a masterpiece you should watch
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