My Dear Donovan

Don't waste your time

this has GOT to be a joke. it started off as well as any other drama, honestly I was very into it until episode 10. it COMPLETELY lost me. it was already boring leading up to episode 10, with more screen time with the neighbor and her freaking GRANDPARENTS than any other thing but it was fine because the chemistry between the FL and ML was honestly pretty good, but it became such a dumpster fire. I was unfortunate enough to waste several hours on this show, so please take my warning and don't even bother. it starts off good, but the downfall is so dramatic and awful that you forget what's even happening. It gets to the point where you just have to laugh because what is even going on?!

Spoilers but this is what I hated-

ML shouldn't have almost cheated on FL with Jessica, he went too far in the car scene

ML got SAed way too many times, and it gets so uncomfortable because it's honestly disgusting how he is treated

FL is way too trusting, it was refreshing at first and I enjoyed her trusting the ML, but it got to the point where she was just stupid. after finding the condom in his car, she BARELY gave any backlash to him

ML has no personality, and honestly the second ML would have been such a better choice, Mr. Aodd was a perfect guy that the FL should have gotten with. the ML was NOTHING compared to Mr. Aodd, only an attractive guy.

the grandpa. point blank and period, he is the most annoying character

the grandpa literally tries to shoot the ML at the end, ends up shooting the freaking mom, and then just goes back to FL and tells her he finally approves of her BF when it's like... bro, you just shot my mom over this??? get away from me!! this was honestly the most laughable part!!!

Truly a disaster. I hated it so much, and I'm so mad that I've wasted my life on it. it could have been so much more then what it was, but it was garbage. if I could give it a zero, I would. immediately. please please please don't even bother watching.

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Started out great but went downhill

I’m not the type to write reviews here but I just had to .
It’s been about 5 days since I completed it but I feel I won’t be able to rest properly if I don’t write this review.

This is honestly one of the worst dramas I’ve ever seen . The drama had so much potential but the writer ruined it .

The ml Dino was so dumb and easily manipulated.
I also found him a bit manipulative with the fl
The fl was too trusting and naive .
There’s a thin line between being naive and stupid, and she leaned more towards stupidity.

The drama was a hot mess . From the hypocrite of a grandfather and mother , to the annoying second leads.

Honestly, none of the characters were lovable.
I initially started it for Luke but I guess even his looks weren’t enough to save this .

I genuinely wouldn’t recommend this drama to anyone except you enjoy experiencing anger and frustration

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I Ship Pam & Dino

I enjoyed this drama.

I am not familiar with Thai dramas. I am, however, a connoisseur of the romance genre. And My Dear Donovan fits into the romance category perfectly.

It is a straight-forward romance drama where you know the players at face value - good guys, bad guys, grumpy grandfather. The hurdles the lovers have to go through to test their love for each other are adequte for this 16-episode drama. 

What I like: 
- The lovers liked each other from the start, and they were revealed their feelings early part of the series.
- Chemistry between the main actors is cute enough.
- You know exactly who the bad guys are. 
- The FL - she can do crying scenes well. Her puffy nose and redish eyes. Perfection.
- The ML - Great screen presence. 

What I find meh:
- The intrigues, reasons for break-up, and family dynamics were weak. However, it provided me with reasons to fast forward bits and pieces.
- Mr Aood - the apparent 2nd ML. He is unfortunately overshadowed by the ML's strong screen presence.
- Closure of the hurdles for the couple - it felt a bit of a rush towards the end of three episodes.

For romance genre lovers. This is not an epic intergenerational drama. My Dear Donovan is a drama to watch simply for enjoyment. 

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A light intro to Thai drama for beginners ;-)

This series is highly recommended for those who are interested in watching Thai drama for the first time. Nothing special about it, a lovely rom-com. It's light, the pace is fast, and the 'Thai-dramas spices' in it aren't overwhelming. An excellent cast and the ending fits the genre. A happy ending : )

A review on MYdramaList must contain 500 words, so here is a bonus:
* Male lead-acter: Luke (27-28yrs) > A Japanese-American.
He left school for modeling and TV [7 dramas in total/1 Movie] Currently with GMMTV.
* Female Lead: Namtan (26) is pursuing a Master's in Performing Arts = beauty & brains.
Check out her IG: namtan.tipnaree.

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Sensible honest love has problem too?

I'm going to give my honest thoughts about this series. There are things that I didn't like and something I really loved.
The first thing I didn't liked about the series is the ML is very much objectified okay that's the biggest issue of the series but on the other hand it's true that not only women, but men are also victims of sexual harassment. It's very brave of GMMTV to show this side of the entertainment industry.
The other thing that I didn't like was the FLs overprotective grandfather. It's understandable that Pam's grandparents really love her, but her grandfather is overly overly protective towards Pam and that's really annoying.
Pam's mother is weirdly unbothered about her 1st child and is an epitome of an irresponsible mother. I know that's how the character really is, and this is a proof that mother like her really do exist.
But the chemistry between the ML and FL is very very good, Namtan has polished acting skills and Luke's acting skills developed over time.
Regardless of the flaws something about this series makes me wanna wait for an entire week. It's interesting and I love it.

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Little Substance, Save for the Beautiful Eye Candy

Not much going on with this series except the hotness of the ML. Lol. I did like how he was immediately attracted to the mousy FL, but the storyline was somewhat ridiculous. The FL’s mom is running a modeling agency and tricks her into becoming the ML’s manager under the guise that he needs an interpreter. Mind you she’s never been a manager in her life. She is a teacher, but somehow she’s able to be the ML’s full-time manager while also being a teacher. SMH.

She lives with her grandparents. With her grandmother being a sweetheart while her grandfather was just insufferable. The way he constantly scowled and was so overbearing was annoying. When he was having his health crisis, I was hoping he’d kill over rather than live on, that’s how annoying he was and a hinderance to what little story was happening in the series.

The ML’s storyline of moving to Thailand from the U.S. in search of his sister was questionable. There was no explanation as to why he and his sister were living on the streets in the U.S. and an even bigger question, why his sister was white, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman. Of course, the ML had a shady past that was literally keeping him awake at night, but it was nothing that I cared to know about. Again, the story just meandered from modeling job to modeling job for him why he and the FL went through their push pull thing.

There was the required interloper or two who were inserted into the story to cause unnecessary and oftentimes silly drama. But again, there was no substance to the storyline. The ML (Luke Ishikawa Plowden) was stunning in this. He is a beautiful specimen of a man and was very believable as a male model. Probably because that’s his day job. 😉 Lol. Overall, this was just okay. Would I rewatch? Perhaps some scenes to see the ML shirtless and gazing longingly at the FL. Lol. But other than those shallow reasons, no.

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Great chemistry and creepy villain

I really liked this lakorn a lot and not only because of Luke Ishikawa Plowden (although that is who I came for initially). The chemistry between the 2 leads is great. The respect Dino has for the much more traditionally brought up Pam is very sweet. Grandma is a lovely woman and I have no idea what made Grandpa hate foreigners so much (even one so well integrated is Dino!) but he got over it way too late. Poor Luke must feel so bullied with gramps talking about him and his parents. The dialogues and events were interesting enough to not let me be distracted by Luke Ishikawas beautifull features and voice. His voice is really worth mentioning apart this time, as he uses it amazingly. Soft and sensual, humorous and high-pitched, he does it all. I loved it. I would have liked Pam to be a bit more fierce, and Aood a bit less demure, but we cant have everything. Leaves just the music. Aside from the horrible theme song that irritated me from the 1st episode on, to the Never Ending Story theme/score (I looked it up, it is ACTUALLY from Never Ending Story!) this was really, really bad for an ost. Like really bad. The leads and the villain saved the drama and made me score it a 7. Would have been way worse without them

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A Promising Romance Lost in Soap Opera Chaos

My Dear Donovan is one of those dramas that started with an interesting concept but gradually turned into a rather ridiculous soap opera. I went into it hoping for a good romance, especially because I liked the chemistry between the leads, the background narration, and the way the story was presented. For a while, I genuinely thought we might get a lovely couple and an entertaining story. Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way.

The drama has quite a large cast, but despite introducing so many characters, it doesn't do much with their development. There are plenty of ups and downs, questionable decisions, and situations that make you wonder what the writers were thinking. Some plot points could have been interesting if they had been explored properly, but instead, the story often feels like one dramatic incident after another without much depth or meaningful resolution.

One thing I particularly dislike in some short C-dramas is how male leads are objectified, with the story seemingly revolving around showing off their abs and creating kissing scenes for the audience. I've watched a few dramas like that, and I've even developed a mental list of actors I tend to avoid because of how heavily they're objectified. Unfortunately, My Dear Donovan occasionally gave me a similar feeling. I'm glad viewers brought this up in the comments and reviews because it's something worth discussing. There's nothing wrong with attractive actors or romantic scenes, but they shouldn't become the entire selling point of a character.

Coming to the romance, I did enjoy Pam and Dino together. Namtan and Luke have lovely chemistry, and their interactions were probably one of the reasons I continued watching. However, I wasn't particularly happy with how the drama glossed over Dino's cheating. Their romance was cute, but that aspect deserved more acknowledgment rather than being brushed aside. Dino himself was quite frustrating as a male lead. I liked his backstory involving his sister, but overall, he wasn't a particularly well-developed character.

The love triangle involving Aood was one of the better-executed parts of the story, although it still felt somewhat one-dimensional. On the other hand, the whole trope of women constantly fighting over a man needs to go. Jessica and Da were doing far too much over someone who wasn't even interested in them. The repeated interactions and romantic attention surrounding the same characters also became rather monotonous.

And then there are the two rather crazy women whose scenes initially annoyed me but eventually became so over-the-top that I couldn't help laughing. Honestly, the plot gets so ridiculous at certain points that you stop taking it seriously and just enjoy the absurdity. Namtan really carried this drama on her back. She's far too good an actress for some of the material she was given, and I wish the writing had done more justice to her performance.

I also had issues with some of the family dynamics. The grandfather was incredibly controlling, selfish, and openly prejudiced. He was more of a dictator than a caring family elder. Dino's mother wasn't much better in terms of emotional depth. Her relationship with her daughter needed more than a verbal apology to feel genuinely repaired. These relationships had the potential to add something meaningful to the story, but they were handled rather superficially.

However, my biggest issue was how the drama handled sexual harassment.

Dino being drugged and sexually harassed was an extremely serious storyline, and I was disappointed by how poorly it was addressed. Drugging someone and taking advantage of them is not flirting or harmless romantic comedy material. It is sexual assault, regardless of the victim's gender. If a drama chooses to include something this sensitive, it needs to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Being a male victim doesn't make the situation any less disturbing, and I really didn't appreciate how casually the show handled it.

As for the ending, the last episode was particularly disappointing. The grandfather pointing a gun at someone and then everyone seemingly moving on as if nothing particularly serious had happened was ridiculous. There was no satisfying sense of consequence or resolution. After everything the characters went through, I expected a much better conclusion.

Despite all this, I can't say I completely regret watching it. There were moments when I genuinely enjoyed myself, the leads had chemistry, and Namtan's performance was a highlight. The background narration also added something to the viewing experience, and I liked Pam's styling throughout the drama.

Overall, My Dear Donovan was a mixed bag. It had an interesting starting concept, an enjoyable lead pairing, and a few genuinely entertaining moments, but weak character development, repetitive romantic conflicts, questionable writing, and the mishandling of serious issues held it back. It ended up being more ridiculous than romantic, and while I laughed quite a bit, I wouldn't call it a particularly good drama. For me, it's a one-time watch, mainly for Namtan and the occasional entertainment value.

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Let's start with what's good about this series. Luke is so cute and his Thai is amazing considering he's Japanese-American and not Thai at all. Playing a model isn't exactly a challenge for him since that was his original profession. Our female lead, Namtan, is also adorable, and I appreciate that they didn't try to make her sexy. Poor Pod, as cute as he is, I'm sure he struggled with this role and for that I'll give him a big hand. We normally see strait guys having a hard time with their roles in BLs, so I can only imagine how difficult it is for a LGBT actor to play a strait role. Finally, the actress that played Grandma is cute as a button. Now, moving on to what's not so great about this series... Well, to make a long story short, all of it. The plot jumps all over the place, the remaining cast is sub par, and the ending is just ridiculous. Really? It's like one of those cheesey black and whites where they just laugh off serious issues with a "well that's Grandpa for you. We know how he feels about foreigners. Hahaha crazy old Gramps"...

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Needs better OST and Editing to Convey the Story.

ML and FL have good chemistry and communication. The OST doesn't really set the tone. The editing is so choppy that it makes it a chore to binge watch or enjoy the dynamics of the story. I like the story. It is good to see the other side of power and sexuality and trying to survive from a male POV. I understand overbearing guardians, but writers sometime overdue this concept which drains the interests of the story. Respect is one thing, but that does not mean control. The growth and dynamics within the relationship between the ML and FL was worth finishing the series. Overall, with better editing, OST the rating probably would be higher.

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More Abs Than Depth!

It seemed fun at first, and the leads are definitely easy on the eyes—especially the male lead, who spends a good chunk of the series shirtless. The storyline is pretty predictable: a model male lead and a manager female lead. Still, I’ll give it credit for the comedy, which was actually pretty good, and bonus points for the actors being able to speak fluent English when needed.

But beyond that, the plot falls apart—and so do the characters. The female lead is basically a doormat. She’s overly kind and constantly gets taken advantage of throughout the series. The male lead, on the other hand, is just... a jerk. I get that he has a tragic backstory or trauma, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. He avoids the two other girls who keep throwing themselves at him, but still gives off mixed signals, like he kind of lets it happen sometimes.

A lot of the drama could’ve been avoided. I know he’s a model and needs to stay professional, but come on—set some boundaries. Meanwhile, the female lead is loyal and never swayed, and it just feels unfair. This series may look light and fluffy on the surface, but underneath it’s really just a toxic relationship disguised as romance.

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What a Mess

First things first: There's one episode that's just not okay and shows a completely wrong image. I would have given the series a much higher rating if that hadn't happened. Dino is drugged and sexually harassed, and to an absolutely horrific extent. It's not handled well in the series, which is simply unacceptable. Drugging is really more than just flirting, and even if the victim is a man, that doesn't mean it's okay. If you decide to include such a sensitive topic, then please do it properly and not like that. An absolute no-go.

Otherwise, the story was okay, I'd say. There were definitely a few ups and downs. Dino is really more of a frustraiting than a great main character, even though I did like his backstory with his sister. The last episode was a complete waste of time. The grandfather aiming his gun and then everyone acting like nothing happened is completely unrealistic and stupid.
At least the actors did a good job, but otherwise it was a complete disaster.
I'm sorry, but I don't recommend it at all.

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