A Dose of Serotonin
There are various reasons why 'We Are' is a standout drama, which I will highlight below, but I must start with the most important.'We Are' is unpretentious. From the start, the show promised us a feel good romcom, delivered by an endearing cast of friends, and not once did it fail us. From beginning to end we are presented with a healthy loving group of friends in healthy loving relationships. Yes, drama can make for good TV, but there’s always room for a show that offers comfort and good-natured humor.
'We Are' is a slow burn. Surprisingly, I believe that in this case, it’s a plus. In the BL era of everyone must be dating by episode 5, it can even be considered refreshing. Despite our main couple not being official until the latter half of the show, there was little room for the viewers to doubt that they would eventually get there. By showing that a lack of a relationship status did not impede the romance of it all, they managed to cleverly keep viewers engaged. It was also entertaining to observe the multiple couples in various stages of a relationship. With such a large group of friends, there was always something going on.
'We Are' boasts of a lovable cast. The true star of this show and what kept the story connected, was how genuinely the friend group was written. There was love there that is just as important as the romance. It’s not difficult to root for a group of characters, when they are ALL genuinely good people. (I have to say that watching that last episode made me a tiny bit emotional. It’s like I’m sending off my children into the adult world. I don’t have any children.)
All in all, 'We Are' never failed to deliver that midweek kick of serotonin, and for that it will be missed.
Was it perfect? No. But it accomplished what it set out to do in a striking way.
Rating : 9.5/10. Comforting & Feel-Good.
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This review may contain spoilers
A page of youth
I love coming-of-age BL stories, and this drama was a sparkling encapsulation of that youthful brilliance.The entire cast was fantastic, and out of all the roles played by Pond and Phuwin, I liked their characters, Phum and Peem, in this drama the most. The other cast members were also wonderful, and there were no unpleasant characters or events. In other words, nothing really happens. For 16 episodes, the same kind of content continues. There is nothing dramatic. Just daily university tasks, friendships, and life.
Some people might find this uneventful and monotonous story unsatisfying, but I found it very realistic and loved it for that. Life isn't always filled with dramatic events. The transition from friendship to love, from friends to lovers, is portrayed very carefully. Unlike typical Thai BL dramas, there is no hellish event before the final episode. It’s consistently safe.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to feel the romance and friendship of university students in a realistic way.
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It’s a nice feel good series. Does it have a complex storyline? No. Does it have over top “cute” behaviour (I’m looking at you Tan), yes. But it does have adorableness and moments that made me squeal from cuteness overload.
I loved the chemistry and interactions between Phum and Peem. They’re a slower burn compared to the other 2 couples, but I think their pace works for them.
I also love the supportive relationship between the brothers. It’s nice to see their friendly and sibling teasing.
If you want a light, cheery and cute series to binge I totally recommend it.
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excellent, heartfelt ensemble storytelling within a quiet piece
This was the first show I've watched with any of these actors in a main role, and I couldn't be more pleased with my experience. I've long since admired P'New's skill at handling large episode counts, intimate friend groups, and and a quieter, more mature romance and We Are brought all these things in spades. We Are follows a large ensemble of friends and the way their knitting together of friendships and relationships changes the lives of the individuals. It's quiet and generally low-stakes, but the actors bring a weight to these college friendships and romances that makes you feel how important they are to the characters at hand. It ends up being the story of choosing to be gentle, supportive, and brave with those closest to you to foster uplifting communities. I really enjoyed it a lot.-The Full Review-
STORY:
I absolutely love this story. Each character felt true and dimensional in their own story. It's easy to grasp Peem's aspirations, as well as the life that shaped his personality. Phum's issues with his parents are not expanded on extensively but they are felt throughout his character. The treatment of Toey, the baby of the group, is consistent and serves as an anchor to unite the group when things aren't going well. Even Beer, Matt, and Mick (who have comparatively smaller roles) feel like real installations in their lives and a great representation of friends on the periphery of a core group.
My only real issue with this storytelling is that there was a sometimes awkward pacing with a focus on flashbacks. I felt that the story could be improved if, for example, Q and Toey's history was more naturally integrated into the events of the story. We tended to move from one couple to another in rotation, with large flashbacks to convey prior history, when stronger development between inter-couple relationships proved a more interesting way to discover backstory and emotional mindsets.
ACTING:
I'm noticing this is a rather unpopular opinion, but this show absolutely rocketed Phuwin to my top 10 Thai actors. Between finishing this show and writing this review (less than one week) I've started (and finished) Never Let Me Go and started in on Summer Night. There's a delicacy to his character work that was particularly effective with Peem's gentleness, but that didn't prevent him from truly shining in the boyish, loud, and playful moments. I truly enjoy watching his performances.
For Pond, I thought Phum sat very naturally in his skill set. It was quite satisfying to watch him melt and become a livelier and more active friend. I think that P'New's direction really suited his style and allowed him to make that transition much more realistically and comfortably than in NLMG. The growth was quite stark and I am very proud of him,
Next most stand out performance, to me, was Winny as Q. His character was quite quirky, quiet and reserved--but not necessarily out of a sense of shyness or self-consciousness. I loved the give-and-take of his attentions, as well as his blunt manner of navigating the world. The equally un-self-conscious way he became a sweet and affectionate boyfriend was so cute.
I picked up this series for AouBoom (if you can really say that--I'd only seen them in Midnight Museum, which was hardly a major role lol), and I was surprised, but pleased with their chemistry. I'm not sure what I was expecting from them as a pair, but Aou, especially, walked a line of a character who could be quite annoying very well. You could really feel their character's fondness for each other quite well.
As for the rest, there was no one I was dissatisfied with. Everyone in this ensemble managed to match each other's energy in an infectious and driving way. The connection between the characters was the only thing holding this story together, which is always a difficult task. But the chemistry never collapsed and the ensemble functioned well together. I particularly enjoyed how many "dramatic reveals" had at least three or four other cast members in the background reacting in unison. It was really well done!
PRODUCTION:
I don't have much commentary to make in the production of this show. P'New favors a naturalistic style and that is very apparent here. The costuming and set pieces are suited to the piece and competently assembled, but not particularly attention grabbing. It's clear they production team preferred to highlight the performances of the actors over artistic staging--which I think works just fine for this piece.
For the positives, the most intimate scenes (Q and Peem on the steps, Loy Krathong, conversations in the dark at camp, the gallery show, etc) came off very intimate and warm with just subtle shifts in lighting and framing. I love being allowed to just watch actors act their asses off without a lot of distracting tricks and magic. And this show certainly delivered.
For the negatives, I thought the paintings were really uninspired. With so little time and energy spent on other aspects of the production, and with the importance of painting and art to so many of the characters, I really expected Peem, Q, and Toey's artwork to be.... better, lol. Q, even, barely had a recognizable style/interest despite being the Maestro. I would look to Not Me as a better example of a show that pulled of art students work successfully within a narrative.
INTIMACY:
As I said, I was new to (almost) all of these couples and had no baseline for their chemistry or work together. All of them sold their relationships. I enjoyed that each couple got a unique style of intimacy that reflected their personalities--which is not always the case in ensembles this large. I particularly enjoyed the way that Phum and Peem's sense of intimacy developed ahead of actually confirming their relationship, and their struggles in navigating what that means for them. The use of casual affectionate touch was also quite beautiful in this series.
I found that the NC scenes were rather typical to GMMTV. I think they suited the tone of the story fine, but were a little bit generic? Many other moments of intimacy were more valuable to the characters than any of the sex scenes, which made them feel quite tacked on or simply to fulfill a quota. They didn't detract from the story, but they didn't add to it either. I would really like to see a GMMTV that manages to include sex in a more meaningful, character-motivated way. But these sweet first times were fine.
In all, I really enjoyed this story and it's been sticking with me a lot more strongly than I expected when I first started it. The characters (and their actors) are very charming and it's a feelgood, warm story. It actually made me quite excited for Perfect10Liners because I'd forgotten how good P'New was with juggling broad stories about friendships. I would recommend We Are to anyone looking for something acting-heavy and sweet.
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Came for the romance. Stayed for the friendship
This series focuses on the (beginning) of romance relationships between four couples. Some were dealt with better than others, while others I felt were not given the opportunity to blossom like thier counterparts (Chain and Pun's). I personally adored the relationship of Tan and Khaofang out of the four as they made me smile whenever they were present on the screen. I dint really warm up to Phum and Peem until quite episode 10 (😳!), so that should tell you something.But what was the saving this series were the friwn3dship of the two group of friends. Whenever they were on the screen, I just felt joy and happiness when they were all together. It was fun watching one group of friends, but when all the groups combined, the sntics and chaos that was released with them! So, in the end, because of this, I am giving this series an 8 (I actually thought that I would have given it something lower). So, while rhe romance is there for us to enjoy, the friendship will indeed steal the show!
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Great break from heavy shows
I know for me at least watching back to back emotional roller coasters can be draining, so I really appreciate a show that can be refreshing with out being completely brainless. There are some troubles and conflicts but they are handled quickly without the stretched out drama. All the characters are college age and for once I buy it, they are intelligent adults while being playful and young. They understand the value of friendship and even without people pairing off I think this would have been a great show.I really enjoyed the two friend groups coming together. Many shows have it only set in one facility, two at most so to see a friend group built up of many was refreshing.
I enjoyed how all the couples had very different starting points for their relationships and showed how all their relationships looked different because each couple was unique.
Considering they started from four books worth of materials, I think they managed to work the pace well into the 16 episodes.
Overall I think this was a feel good show with some of our favorite pairings/actors and I loved all the guest appearances. I've marked this one as high re-watch because I can really see myself adding it to the list of shows to watch when I'm down or when a show or book punches my heart (looking at you Theory of Love❤️)
Worth trying, you may like it to.
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My Review of We Are
Honestly, this is one of the only series from GMMTV that I would rate this highly. Usually, I’m not really into comedy series, but this one… I absolutely loved it. The story is light but well done, and the couples are super cute, each in their own way.Special mention to AouBoom — my little babies! Their chemistry is just so sweet, I totally melted watching them. They really made me enjoy this series from beginning to end. 💖
On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed by PondPhuwin. I usually love them so much, but in this series… I don’t know, something felt off. Maybe it lacked a bit of connection or emotion this time around. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it’s the one thing that left me a little unsatisfied.
Still, I totally recommend We Are! It’s a feel-good series — funny, heartwarming, and filled with sweet moments and lovable characters. A great surprise in the BL world!
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COMFORT WATCH - Great Cast with Amazing Chemistry
This series is the one we have been asking for, no unnecessary drama created just because and focusing on the character relationships, development and how they together overcome their personal hurdles. I loved that we were allowed time to explore the individual relationships between the friends as well as between the couples. There is of cause love connections in the series as it is a Boy's Love series, but equally as great is it to just sit and watch the different friendship dynamics portrayed.Over the episodes you get to meet and connect with the characters and for the most part they all have fairly fleshed out back stories and plots. Although it is hard to do this to the same extent for all of them as the cast is quite large, there is no seemingly unnecessary characters introduced. They all have their individual characters and traits that show believable and varied expressions of friendship, love and affection. I also like how we see four very different types of couple dynamics, and that one isn't better than the others, they are just different but equally deep in their feelings.
It is a modern take on a classic University BL that I really appreciate. It shows that you can make a non-toxic University BL that gives the viewers warmth and promote healthy relationships. Although some of the criticism of the series is by some a perceived lack of plot, I personally do not think so. The plot is the friendships and lives of the 4 couples. Whom all have good charisma and chemistry that carries the series to the end. The series doesn't need the big dramas to carry it throughout because the chemistry between all the actors carries the story beautifully.
I only wished the episodes were longer and that there were more of them, as this series has been a great COMFORT WATCH.
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Why I Love We Are ❤️
This series had me hooked right from the start. It’s a bit on the longer side since it follows multiple couples, but that totally makes sense. I’ve always had a soft spot for rom-coms, and this one really hits the mark. I’m especially loving Phum and Peem’s story (PondPhuwin), the whole enemies-to-lovers vibe is just chef’s kiss.Phum’s your typical rich guy with some serious daddy issues, while Peem has this super supportive and loving aunt, which adds a nice contrast. Also, I really appreciate that they focused on Fine Arts as a course instead of the usual Engineering angle you see in a lot of BLs, it’s a refreshing change!
Sure, it can be a little hard to keep up at times, but the story flows well, and all the couples have amazing chemistry. My favorites are definitely PhumPeem and TanKhaofang. Khaofang seems cold at first, but Tan is so persistent, it’s sweet watching Khao slowly warm up to him.
Overall, We Are is a beautiful story about deep friendship and love, and I’m totally here for it.
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Sweet Simple BL Series
I am loving this series so far! It's very simple (not much in the story line department) but gives me nostalgic vibes (think Lovesick and Make It Right). It's nice to have a reset break from the heavy storylines and mature shows every now and then.All of the characters are cute and loveable which leaves you with warm fuzzies from watching this show. If you're in need of a pick-me-up I definitely recommend giving this series a shot. I love settling in at the end of my day to watch this show and get a hefty dose of dopamine.
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Unexpectedly good
I had like zero expectations on this series, but I really loved it. Why? I don’t know, it was unexpected. When I saw the trailer I didn't expect much, cause I’m not a big fan of the actors either, but I changed my mind. I couldn't wait for the new episode to come out every week.There is no plot, really, just some guys living their university life and falling in love, but here we are, they made me love this show. It’s a fun and sweet series, not a masterpiece, but perfect as entertainment. And personally I loved every characters and all the couples (but Q and Toey have my heart ❤️🩹). I think the charachters and all the relationships between them are the best thing on this show, probably why I liked “We are” so much. This show is also the story of a beautiful friendship! I'll miss them all❤️😭
Anyway, I'm not a big fan of PondPuhwin, I don’t like them in Never let me go, but this series made me love them so much 👀 a lot of unexpected things.
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One of the best college BLs in recent times
With 16 episodes, We Are is an exception to the GMMTV BL rule. I’m glad they decided to go with this many episodes because, to be honest, I couldn’t get enough of this series.The trailer of We Are seemed a little lame and all over the place. I didn’t know what to expect from the drama except for a cliched “do what I tell you in exchange for what you want” plot, but I’m glad to have been proven wrong.
Pond and Phuwin never disappoint. They have found a steady rhythm blending romantic anticipation with playful rivalry. aheir relationship also develops like how any real-life relationship would. There’s a long period of ambiguity in their status, which is actually the best part of the show given their mutual attraction.
Even though the storyline was rather superficial and uncomplicated, it managed to capture the magic of young people falling in love. No bullshit, no convoluted problems. Just butterflies and affection.
The series was also unexpectedly humorous in its own way, so it left me both squealing and roaring with laughter throughout.
Verdict: A comforting and highly entertaining series that I looked forward to every week
Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/07/28/we-are-2024-bl-review/
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