Not Me (2021)

Relevant and important BL

I love when BLs dive into deeper issues and I feel like the philosophical and societal undertones of this story are way too important to simply categorize this show as a romance or a niche product. I’m unaware of how well this did with the GP in Thailand, but it was truly outstanding to have felt the love the people behind this project have for their home country.

On a microscopic level, sure, I have issues with some aspects of the show: the acting wasn’t bad in the slightest but could have been way better in most instances (though call me impressed at Gun for portraying the twins) and there were some usual BL elements in Thai productions that I’m not a huge fan of (the romantic slow-mo shot, the tackiness of some dialogue, the annoying misunderstandings) BUT…

On a macroscopic level, the value here is immense. Not only did I enjoy the romantic side of things in the end, like I do believe the painting scene with Yok and Dan to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful imagery I’ve seen in any BL ever), but moreso where the story shines is with its politics exploration of power and violence. On one hand, it shows how problematic capitalistic societies are when they are based on principles of hierarchy, which usually lead to nepotism, individualism and ultimately to the corruptible illusion that money is power, and power is what you need to survive in this world. But then, power you’re either born with (= you’re born in the upper class) or, since power is not for the masses but for the few, it must be obtained by the rules of competition. But then again, fair play is only for the sports, so the way it usually goes is for people to reach a position of power either by deception, manipulation or exploitation and violence. Power DOES get you corrupt in the end. You WILL be forced to succumb to malice when you’re thrown in with the wolves that are the higher ups, who are all struggling to hold onto the privileges that they have, ‘cause why on Earth would the working class WANT to go up the social ladder if they were content where they are? They aren’t, and the powerful are obviously afraid of stepping down. It’s a whole inescapable cycle and, unfortunately, these are usually the people that rule our countries. No matter what good of a constitution you have and no matter how good your laws, there’s ALWAYS a way to bend the rules… for those in positions of power, of course. Power, hower, does not only deceive the rich, and is a danger to all, and we see that with our cast of people when they burn that house down: if you’re using violence to gain something, you’ll end up losing something. It could have been Dan, but it most certainly was Yok’s mom in that situation. So, not only the people are put in outright bad positions, but if they try to act against injustice, often that will backfire on themselves. Then there were talks about gun violence and human rights and how difficult it is for outcasts, for the disabled, and how a bunch of youngesters can’t even enjoy their education and youth ‘cause the world’s such a fucked up place and the older generations are all just either completely disenchanted, afraid or utterly enamored with corrupt ideals. And THAT’s what I love about this: the fact that they managed to stir an uprising with peaceful acts and protests. They painted a whole new form of power, that of democracy, which we seriously take for granted in most parts of the world. Even when people have it, they still don’t practice it their rights enough to have a voice and have it heard. I know I may seem naive, but we the younger generation should AT LEAST acknowledge that this is an ideal we should uphold and act by. Protests, activisism, the courage to go up against the currents. I truly felt uplifted by this show and I’m so grateful to have watched and have it inspire me to look forward and fight for the kind of society we want to live in.

9.5/10 AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN A TEN IF THEY DIDN’T BULLSHIT US WITH THAT GRAM/EUGENE PAIRING WHEN I KNOW!!! I KNOW!!! I JUST FOUND OUT!!!! That Gram was originally supposed to have it HARD for Black. Shame on y’all!!!!!!!

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Not Me, one of the Best bls till now

I've watched this series when it dropped and rewatched it since then often.
I have to say some jumping effects were a little wel ridiculous but that's such a minor thing to criticis beside anything else.
sometimes I forgot that I was watching a bl, the story was that well made.
it wasn't just a bl for the bl industry sake of it, It was even more a really good and really needed story with great plot line, wonderful acting, gorgeous BGM and more.
the topic that we're talked about within the story we're so important for the LGBTQ+ Community in Thailand and tbh even for other countries, they weren't shy about to say what needed to be said. I am truly impressed with that masterpiece and I think even now that long after I think more people should watch it bl watcher and non bl watcher.
on the bl side of things OffGun did a really amazing job here.
I truly believed both of them in there Charakters they got the characters really well.
and a big standing ovation for Gun in his role, to play 2 characters which were such opposites was really well played.
I just freaking love this series from the bottom of my heart until now.

Please go watch this Masterpiece! ♡

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Are we all okay after seeing this masterpiece? Not me

I’m always a bit picky and love analyzing the details, but for the first time, all I’m going to do here is give praise and applause to every single person involved in the production. From the cast to the writers, directors, and cinematographers—hats off to all of them.

This has easily become my favorite series. What can I say about Not Me? It’s such a real, cruel, and moving story that truly opens your eyes. Especially when seeing the situation in a country I’m not even in—I think I can get a good idea thanks to this series. Let’s quickly talk about everything because I simply adore this, and anyone who hasn’t seen it should stop reading silly reviews and go watch it right away without hesitation. I wish I could erase my memory and watch it again, haha.

The cast was chef’s kiss. While everyone did an impeccable job, I’d like to highlight Gun’s performance in portraying twins with different personalities. He has me at his feet with his interpretation of Black and White. He’s a gem in acting, and his talent was well used. I’d also like to mention Off and his incredible portrayal of Sean, as well as First with his amazing work as Yok. Very well done!

The cinematography, camera work, frames, lighting, and filming locations—SPECTACULAR. And I say this as an audiovisual student; it’s the kind of cinematography that you DON’T FORGET. It feels like the best fever dream you could ever have. Some frames completely blew me away. Examples: Tawee’s house burning in the forest, that damn kiss on the rooftop, SeanWhite making out in the tent, and the intense scene of them being kidnapped. Pure excellence.

Let’s not even talk about the script—it never gets boring. It says what’s necessary, when it’s necessary, and builds and connects the plot for the future. What a masterpiece.

Finally, Not Me felt like a masterpiece to me—not just because of the technical aspects (which are very well crafted) but because of the emotions and the message it conveys. Politics and ideologies of justice are vast topics that can be seen from many perspectives. There’s no absolute good or bad here. Everyone is different, and Not Me explores these different viewpoints in a very well-executed way. It raises awareness and reminds us of the many issues in the world that we ignore and how so many people out there are fighting them alone.

Scenes like the LGBTQ+ march in episode 7, the fire at Tawee’s house at the beginning, Sean’s rage toward Tawee and the police, White’s dilemma between honesty and protecting the nation, the relationships of SeanWhite and DanYok—all of these are absolutely worthy of deep analysis, which a simple review couldn’t do justice to.

So, if we keep talking about this series, you have to watch Not Me. You won’t regret it.

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we need another series like this one

so I binge watched this in like one day and I absolutely loved ittt. Plot was so good I absolutely forgot that I was watching a bl and well since I am somewhat new to thai bls and I didn't know much about offgun so I didn't even expect their characters to get tg 😭😭 But I think that they are adorable.

I'm just saying that literally the bl aside there's so much other interesting things about this series and even if you aren't into thai bls I can assure you watching this will change your life ITS SO GOODDD. Also the actors are absolutely amazing and they did a perfect job I fear

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Political Drama That Happens to be a BL

Episode 1 is full of hard-hitting lines, most of which are political in nature. We can look forward for more political drama as the series progress.

OffGun never fail to impress and amuse the viewing public, with powerhouse cast that will surely leave you breathless. Their acting has evolved tremendously and their characterization speaks hardwork.

P'Nuchie has brought her directing prowess in the series and I applied her brand of film direction in a standard BL series. Nevertheless, she brought her own treatment to the templated BL series and made it cinematic.

The music has a right tone to it and gritty where it needs to be gritty. We look forward to hearing more of the soundtrack as the series progress.

But if you feel a bit lost in their conversation, there is a high chance that you will rewatch the series so you can mince every word of the character. With a more complex and technical script, you will surely find yourself watching the episode again.

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Genuinely the best drama I have watched this year so far!

When I first came across the drama I read the synopsis and was immediately hooked on the "typical" twins switching places, as I hadn't watched an Asian drama with that kind of plot. However, the second I watched the first episode I knew that this is a one-of-a-kind drama and that I would never find one again like this. I started watching the drama when it had already been aired up to the 4th episode and I could not stop until I finished them all. At the time I didn't know it was still airing so you can imagine my disappointment when I couldn't find the 5th episode! Since then each Sunday I have patiently stayed up (as it releases late at night for me) just to watch it! The drama has everything, romance, action, politics (but not in a boring way, in the "we are going to challenge this social injustice" way), friendship and self-discovery.

The biggest thing that has made this drama stand out for me was the challenge against Thailand's governmental and social system. Most people know that Thailand is known for its lgbtq+ dramas but I personally find that, as much as I love them, they are all very stereotypical and place the lqbtq+ community within certain categories and assumptions. This drama completely challenged that. The way the community is represented in this drama just makes me so unbelievably happy. Not because it is accepted by everyone in the drama (I don't remember if it is lmao, but it's not as artificially normalised as it is in most Thai dramas), but because it represents the community so well. Not only that, but the whole drama is pretty much based on confronting the higher social class of Thailand and exposing the injustice and privilege that is so prevalent.

Next best thing? The plot. As I said, the thing that originally drew me in was the whole twin swap and the way it wasn't so stereotypical. I'm not going to say more about the plot, but it is genuinely so well written and planned!

The cast is also amazing and was perfectly chosen for each role. I could not imagine any other people playing any other role, it's like the characters were written for each actor/actress (maybe they were?).

Anyways, this is really just a summary but I would 100% recommend it, I genuinely believe that it is the best drama released recently!

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Firstly, the story line of this series is really AMAZING.

The first episode is so awesome. Gun's acting skills is no surprise anymore. He is just AWESOME . In just a episode, he displayed several kinds of emotion in the needed scene.
And Off ( Sean ), his acting is 💯 GREAT. The tone of his voice corespond to the expression of his face. He is so handsome and his acting is great.
In just one episode, we can feel their chemistry already.

The OST is so...The lyrics keeps breaking me down. 😭
This series is AMAZING.. Although, I feel a big twist is waiting for us. I Just hope they don't break my heart.
Everyone else in the series is playing their role greatly. Great job guys!!

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"Not me, not you, but everyone."

Em primeiro lugar, queria dizer que gostei muito de ter assistido Not me. Esse bl rendeu muitos surtos, aflições e reflexões. A trilha sonora é boa, os personagens são cativantes em sua maioria e a história é muito interessante, porém senti que em alguns momentos seu desenvolvimento não foi tão satisfatório.

A temática abordada em Not me é de extrema importância. Fico muito feliz de assistir um drama que traga essas questões, é realmente satisfatório e espero que isso abra portas para novos bls - ou não necessariamente bls - fazerem o mesmo. A ideia geral é muito boa.

Porém, na minha perspectiva, em alguns momentos o roteiro ficou meio confuso. Haviam também algumas conveniências que me faziam não acreditar que aquilo seria possível na vida real. Entendo que é uma obra de ficção, mas é uma temática muito pesada e séria e às vezes a narrativa possuía soluções que não dimensionavam isso.

Portanto, pra mim foi um drama de altos e baixos, alguns episódios maravilhosos e cativantes, outros nem tanto. Aqui entra a minha disposição e concentração pra assistir também, porque tenho um pouco de problema com o formato de 1 episódio por semana, pois quando assisto em andamento as chances de não estar empolgada pra assistir sempre que sai episódio novo são mais altas, diferente de quando faço uma maratona.

Gostei dos personagens desse bl, a química entre o elenco foi boa e os casais também. Gostei muito de Yok e Dan, foi um casal bem legal, além de que eu adorei o Yok. Também gostei de Gram e Eugene. Quanto à White e Sean, eles ficam lindos juntos, mas por algum motivo o desenvolvimento do casal não me convenceu muito. Senti que foi muito repentino, pois eles tinham muitas desavenças e não consegui sentir o romance crescer entre eles, quando vi já estava lá. Porém como disse, quando eles entram em um relacionamento é muito bonito, as cenas dos dois juntos são boas.

Ainda falando sobre o elenco, no geral gostei da atuação, mas queria destacar o excepcional desempenho de Gun Atthaphan. Se durante o drama estava gostando da atuação dele, na reta final da história quando Black voltou eu simplesmente aplaudi. Foi possível perceber as diferenças dos dois personagens, pelos gestos, forma de se comportar e agir. Gun interpretou White e Black muito bem, além de passar toda a credibilidade nas nuances desses personagens (como White tentando se passar por Black, e Black tentando se passar por White quando falou com Todd). Enfim, incrível!!

E além disso, mesmo que tenha sido pouco mostrado, gostei da relação entre Black e White. Black foi um personagem que me surpreendeu, no fim acabei gostando bastante dele. Outro personagem que gostei muito foi o Gumpa. Ele aparece com frequência? Não! Mas sempre adorava as cenas dele.

Quanto ao final do drama... achei confuso. Senti que tudo foi resolvido "rápido demais". Não sei exatamente o motivo, talvez tenha faltado mais ação ou algo assim. Gostei que o final foi feliz, mas ele não pareceu dimensionar tudo que foi trazido durante a trama, parecia algo vazio. Não que eu quisesse que tudo fosse resolvido, afinal isso seria impossível, mas senti que faltou algo.

Por outro lado, gostei que o final trouxe a sensação de "luta contínua" pois é isso que o drama veio mostrando ao longo de sua narrativa. A sociedade é isso, as mudanças não ocorrem magicamente, mas enquanto houver o povo, ele lutará contra a opressão.

Por fim, foi muito bom assistir esse bl, tenho minhas ressalvas aqui e ali, mas foi uma experiência empolgante. Not me fala de temas importantes, fala sobre a sociedade, as injustiças e o povo. Definitivamente, é um marco na história dos bls e espero ver essas temáticas abordadas cada vez mais nessas e outras produções.

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