This review may contain spoilers
A Story that Wears Off Quickly
Overall Reaction: The trailer got me really excited for the drama, considering I fall in the same age demographic. The trailer did a great job of conveying what should be expected of this series: A lighthearted comedy. For the most part, it did live up to what it promised. However, for a plotline of this nature, 12 episodes would have sufficed. In any case, I have sectioned my review in regards to what I liked and disliked about this drama:What I liked:
--> The comedy aspect was very well done and the chemistry between the actors were rock-solid. I feel like the viewers could sense a lot of joy watching the friend group on-screen as they seemed really authentic.
--> The fact that not everyone was from the same faculty and a considerable amount of the drama focused on the fine arts students. A lot of BLs tend to focus on engineers only so it was nice to witness other faculties in the mix.
--> The buildup towards all the relationships was slow-burn and I really enjoyed witnessing that the characters got the time to know each other.
--> At the end of the day, Aou and Boom did phenomenal with the limited amount of screentime they were given. I would love to see them as a lead pair in a drama series someday!
What I disliked:
--> After episode 9, the execution of the plot seemed really formulaic. The excessive amount of trips made it a little tiring to watch but the actors and their respective ships were the saving grace there.
--> The background music during the love scenes were so predictable because they kept using the same music every time. Honestly, as someone whose playlist contains of a lot of background music, I would appreciate a little bit more diversity. Don't get me wrong, I loved the songs the actors sang with Hidden Love by MarcPoon and Missing Me by WinnySatang being my favorites! But I just feel like they were inserted very predictably and at odd times. At times, it managed to pull me out of an intense scene.
--> I liked Peem and Phum's story a lot. I believe this was Pond and Phuwin's best work together in terms of acting. However, a part of me felt that the screentime could have been used for ChainPun to develop as a couple aside from their existing friendship. Their relationship was too sudden for me to witness in Episode 16 compared to the slow burn approach the other characters got.
--> Initially, the QToey plotline was my favorite only to have them dissipate for me after they got together. Every relationship has their own struggles and I wish the director would have shown as such. Their affection got relatively repetitive for me and after they got together, it just felt like their spark disappeared as time progressed.
--> I would have loved to see more of Pond's acting ability beyond his screentime with Phuwin as he did have a conflict with his father. I felt like more could have been explored on that front. I believe that Pond does have the ability to grow as an actor and an intense scene with his character's father would have been the perfect chance to explore that dynamic.
Last Notes:
--> I would not recommend binge watching this series as it tends to get boring pretty quickly. One of the main reasons I stuck with the drama was because it was a weekly release and the storyline reaches the viewers best that way, due to the anticipation element.
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a certified comfort watch
nobody does an ensemble bl like gmmtv. i ADORE this cast and all the couples, they were so sweet and so fun to watch. the best part of this series was the cast and their precious little friend group. i could just tell that they had sooo much fun filming this series, and their happiness was infectious.there's not a whole lot of plot happening here, but it didn't bother me much. i was more invested in the characters, their friendship, and their dynamics anyway. plot? who cares.
the acting was mediocre at best and pretty awful at worst, much to my dismay, considering that i love all these actors and characters. it wasn't unwatchably bad, but there were definitely some moments of acting so terrible that i was kind of taken out of the viewing experience. i think phuwin particularly gave quite a weak performance when it came to his acting. it's disappointing, because i know phuwin is a very strong actor and a talented person. he had moments where he shone, and peem remained an enjoyable character nonetheless. i do want to give kudos to boom and satang tho, they were absolutely the best actors in this whole cast.
that doesn't mean i loved the rest of the characters any less, tho. this whole crew was so charming. even the characters with less screen time. mick, beer, and matt all still found ways to shine. every character, acting performance aside, was loveable in their own unique ways.
i have one final critique about the chemistry between the couples. this pretty much goes back to my acting comments. phuwin's acting was lacking a bit, and i felt that pond carried the brunt of phumpeem's chemistry. i wouldn't even be complaining about this if i wasn't fully confident that phuwin can give a MUCH stronger performance. i've seen him do it, i know he's capable. i obviously still enjoyed the couple, but i can't help pointing it out. i also had slight qualms with qtoey. i've already praised satang, i think he did really well as toey. winny played q very well as a character, but i didn't find his chemistry with satang to be believable. qtoey overall felt a bit wobbly. they were super cute as a couple and their story was touching, but some of their interactions were plain cringey.
i hate to complain so much in the same breath that im claiming to really like this series. LOL. regardless, i honestly would recommend this series to a friend. it was nice to come home from and watch this after chaotic shifts at work. it's lighthearted, silly cheesy romance. a laugh and a good time guaranteed. it's definitely for easy watching, tho. just turn your brain off and don't think too hard, you'll have a great time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Blerg...
I dragged myself through this because I didn't have anything else to watch at the moment and I was really only interested in Mark/Poon.Pond (who is one of my faves) and Phuwin were TOTALLY wasted on this series. They proved they could act in Never Let Me Go and then they are forced to follow it up with this fluff?
Satang's character was so annoying and Winny who is actually a pretty good actor was just phoning this in. I think they were both majorly miss-cast.
However, I LOVE the new paring of Mark with Poon. I've always kinda loved Mark, since Bad Buddy he's been one of my favorite of the sort of "lesser" GMM actors. He's been a lead in a couple of series, but they were not the best scripts or more high profile series. I thought his chemistry with Pawin was pretty weak and when you compare it to his chemistry with Poon it's like night and day. The two of them together are magic. I was really just watching the series for their storyline. Thank goodness we FINALLY got a kiss from them at the very end and it was a really good one. I hope, hope, hope, they get a series of their own next year.
Also, 16 eps. was ridiculous. There was literally not plot or dramatic tension enough for 2 eps and they dragged it out to 16. I understand the purpose was to just be sweet and gentle, but gimme a break.
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A comfort series I keep going back to — and AouBoom need their own show immediately!
I've rewatched parts of this multiple times already and I'll probably do it again. That alone tells you most of what you need to know about how I feel about it.What genuinely moved me about this series beyond the couples is what sits at its center: healthy male friendships, the kind that are affectionate and present and unashamed, and the idea that friendship itself is worth celebrating as the foundation of everything else. That's not something BL series always remember to do, and I found it quietly powerful here.
Yes, it's a little ridiculous that essentially everyone ends up with someone. I made my peace with that early and simply followed PondPhuwin and AouBoom, which was more than enough.
PondPhuwin's physical chemistry felt more natural to me here than in Never Let Me Go — something about Pond being allowed to be a little bolder, a little less passive, seemed to free up the dynamic between them in a way that worked. That's a personal read, but it's a consistent one across rewatches.
And then there's AouBoom. Aou's character is a lot — genuinely, unapologetically a lot — but sometimes full-volume cheesiness is exactly the right energy, and Boom matches it perfectly. They secured a permanent place in my BL heart here and I will stand by that. They need their own series. Someone make it happen.
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Kinda disappointed but not surprised.
I wanna start off by saying my low rating isn't because of the actors. The cast was really amazing, but i felt like the storyline in this series is just non-existent 😭😭. I started watching it for pondphuwin but even with them, they kinda lost the chemistry somewhere. It just feels like once the couples became official, the whole plot disappears and it's all just about being lovey-dovey and nothing else. Also making chainpun real in the last episode is a BIG no from me. Idk if anyone else feels the same.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Doesnt have a good plot.We are 5.5/10, 3 for only really watched for pondphuwin but they became boring in last episode. Winnysatang was quite a boring couple to me they didnt add any excitement to the show. Aouboom was cute definitely cringy. Pond phuwing kissed about 3 times then when pond told everyone that he will make phuwin fall in love with him like what he must know he likes him after 3 kisses how tf not. Weird it's like they took a step back for no reason like they weren't basically for dating 4 eps bruh. Cheum was an annoying useless character used to strech out the show. chainpun was so boring not alot of chemistry, there relationship didn't develop until ep15 they suddenly started speeding it up as if they had any moments before chain was just being a good friend. Needed a better plot, This couple wasn't needed whats the point if they only matter in 2 eps barely as well. I even doubted if they were ment to be a couple or just random bromance to fill scenes
The show definitely had comedy mostly from aun which was funny.
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Pointless vapid parade of handsome post teens.
This is a terrible waste of time. There is so much awkward overacting and phuwin is unwatcheable. But above all the script is just terrible. As in really really meaningless, full of unswallowable vapid nothingness. Syrupy boring on pointless. I never knew Pond was actually a good actor until I realised he really made an effort to make these terrible lines work. But don't waste your time on this. There is such sn abundance of better BL out there today that wasting time on this is criminal.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!
When I realised that ppl are being unnecessarily harsh on this series, was when I decided to write my 1st ever review.This series is like home for me. The soft tones, smiles and healthy friendship feel so wistful to look at! Like being together with your friends through highscl and college is a feat, and that is commendable.
THE RELATIONS ARE SO DAMN HEALTHY! I kid you not, when ppl romanticise lying (even 'forced-to-do-no-other-choice) I feel disgusted. This show addressed that. The playfulness, the comfort and the beauty of the relations portrayed was commendable.
We had 3 different tropes - Enemies to lovers, Friends to lovers, Secret crush! And although one of the couple was rushed, the other three had pretty good pacing with interesting storylines.
My favourite was TanFang, BUT my 'the comfort ship' was PhumPeem. They just have a special charm of their own! So glad AouBoom get recognition for their roles finally! PondPhuwin were stellar just like in NLMG (despite the difference in characters)
I found 'Milk Frappe Boy' and 'Pencil Senior' a bit overused, and QToey's plot was unnecessarily dragged out but the initial stages were extremely cute.
ChainPun was sort of scattered all over the place but I desperately wanted more time for those cuties! Ooooof, Pun is a Cupid but he has no idea Chain's flirting w him T_T! It was torturous (in a good way) to watch Chain try to flirt with that baby!!
Definitely reccomended (I can't spell it) if you want to squeal and blush for 800 mins
PS. Going to miss "Teerak narakaa", "Ku chhob penguin" and "Mah Phum" soooo damn much!
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Overuse sound effects and plain Plot Line
Kuddos to all actors because they deliver the lines well in a way of not being cliche but the story line is too plain indeed.I will not gonna sweeten or flower my words into saying the storyline is just simple but boring and cliche.
In addition to that, the music and sound effects is overused like probably what make editors of this series hard time is placing a sound then copy and paste it after 10 seconds or so. I just did finish the series because I started excited on the first 6 episode.....
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OH THIS HAS MY HEART!!!!!!!!!! A full-on comfort show
What a lovely drama. Like, genuinely. I’m sitting here post-finale in full-blown withdrawal, emotionally unstable, and weirdly smiling. I liked it so much, every moment of it. And that says A LOT coming from someone who usually watches a couple eps, checks the timestamp every five minutes, skips through the middle, and loses interest halfway through. But THIS??? I stayed. I lived in this show. Sixteen whole episodes, almost an hour each, and I was hooked every single second. Not bored ONCE. Miraculous behavior honestly.And now? Now I’m kind of sad. Like... I loved these people a lot. I miss them already 😭
I get that it’s not for everyone. Really, I do. There’s no complex plot. No massive twist. No high-stakes angst. No steamy kisses or anything spicy at all tbh. And it's set in that typical university BL space, which can feel overdone. But for me?? None of that mattered. I liked it because of those reasons. It was sweet. It was soft. It was feel-good. It was just nice. It gave me peace. And the best part? The friendship 🥺
The way they didn’t just drop the friend group dynamic once the couples started happening?? Obsessed. The romance was cute (obviously), but the friendships?? The group chats. The chaotic beach hangouts. The teasing and supporting and being absolute disasters together. That hit deep. It made me want a big wholesome friend group so bad (but let’s be real, I’ll continue living in my room alone with my blanket and fictional people. It’s fine. I’m fine.)
Basic story summary:
Two separate friend groups slowly start crossing over, and eventually just fuse into one giant chaotic, hilarious, heartwarming crew. Some fall in love, some are just there to be iconic. And somehow it all works.
🎨 Phum & Peem
Their whole thing starts when Phum literally ruins Peem’s art (tragic) and Peem kicks him in retaliation (deserved). Instead of paying hospital bills, Peem ends up being Phum’s “slave” and somehow?? That turns into love. I wanted to call them enemies-to-lovers but Phum was head over heels like five seconds in. Man was SO whipped for Peem it’s kind of embarrassing but also adorable. Their bickering was top-tier. Loved every second of Phum simping while pretending not to.
🧋 Q & Toey
Mentor/mentee vibes. Or as they call it: pencil senior and milk frappe boy. These two were precious. Q is talented and awkward and has no idea how feelings work. Toey is just out here being a soft baby. So the friend group does the only logical thing, makes Chain pretend to flirt with Toey just to make Q realize he’s in love. IT WORKS. Also Q was way too relatable (except he’s a musical + artistic genius, which I’m jealous of, but whatever). His reactions were very “me if I had talent and friends and a love interest.”
☀️ Tan & Fang
Tan’s like “can you help me flirt with your BROTHER?” to Phum, Iconic behavior. Tan is loud, energetic, and dramatic. Fang is calm, collected, and polite. They’re opposites, they balance each other, and they’re absolutely adorable. They became a couple early on, and honestly I didn’t even mind. Tan was a lot at times, but Fang being chill about it made it so funny and sweet. Green flag bf certified.
🐧 Chain & Pun
SLOOOOOOW. BURN. Literally everyone knew Chain was in love with Pun except Pun himself, who was too busy being obsessed with penguins to notice he was the main character in a love story, Like how oblivious can one boy be?! But somehow?? It made them even more lovable. They were so soft, and when Pun finally figured it out I was literally grinning at my screen. Slowest to get together, but worth every second. Would do anything for them actually.
🤣 Matt & Mick
THE ABSOLUTE SCENE STEALERS. WHY weren’t they a couple? No idea. But their chaotic energy?? Legendary. Every time they showed up, I laughed. They were loud, dramatic, ridiculous, and hilarious. Give them their own show immediately please, I could watch them be annoying forever.
Everything about this show just felt like sunshine. The beach scenes?? The friend group chaos?? The dumb plans, the awkward flirting, the shared snacks, the emotional support moments, the late-night chats?? YES PLEASE. I LOVED the vibe. I wanted to move into their little universe and just exist in that bubble forever. It was soft and happy and real in a way that just made my heart warm.
Also the bloopers at the end of episode 16?? GOLD. Literal serotonin. I love the cast so much it’s unfair. Why are they this cute off-camera too 😭
Would I recommend it?
No ❤️
Because if you don’t like it I’ll take it personally and probably commit to violence and I don't want to end up in jail young!!(half kidding). Like this show meant something to me. It was pure and funny and sweet and made me feel like maybe the world isn’t completely trash. So yeah, I’m not taking the risk 😌
But seriously, this drama? My comfort show. It made me laugh, made me smile like a fool, made me wish I could hug every character. I don’t care if there wasn’t high drama or steamy scenes or whatever else people think a BL needs. This had heart. And that’s enough for me 💖
Anyway, I’m gonna go cry in the corner now and rewatch their beach scenes on loop 😭
Thanks for reading my emotional breakdown
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My new comfort show! AouBoom main couple WHEN
Went into this show with basically no expectations but OMG I’m in love! I know people are getting annoyed with the “lack of plot” but honestly I’m loving everything about this show. I can admit that we could’ve had 12 episodes and nothing would’ve changed but sometime we need 16 episodes of fluff. I love all the relationships in this show and I ADORE the friendships. I’ve always said my school president is what I wished my high school life was and now We Are is what I wished my uni life was!The casting is absolutely perfect and I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing these characters. Phuwin and Winny playing besties is everything and I need them in more shows together.
I know there’s A LOT of things in the novel that haven’t been mentioned in the show and I agree that it would’ve been interesting to see how they adapt those moments BUT I’m equally as happy with ignoring the angst and just having a cute, happy show.
I would give it 10/10 but the lack of ChainPun forced me to take off half a star ALSO GIVE AOUBOOM THEIR OWN SHOW
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My Ultimate Comfort Watch
Omg I absolutely LOVE this series!! 🥹 It shows such a sweet and healthy friendship dynamic, it’s so refreshing!! And the comedy?? It had me giggling non-stop, I swear 😂✨ Every couple just radiates chemistry, but PondPhuwin??? 😭🦋 Their chemistry is OUT OF THIS WORLD—literal butterflies every time they look at each other!! I kept catching myself smiling like an idiot the whole time I was watching 😭🥰 It's just such a comfort show, warm fuzzies all around!!! Can't get enough!!And the best part? It’s SO rewatchable. I could play it on loop and never get tired of it! 💫💓Was this review helpful to you?
