Never Let Me Go

There is nothing here that I will remember in 2 months time

First of all, I want to apologise for Chopper, sorry king for ever doubting you, you were the highlight of this show. I love that his character was not made to be jealous or competetive towards Nueng, he was just a really good egg and Perth did a great job with him.

I stopped watching this show in the 8th episode when things were supposed to be tense and exciting but it really didn't carry. I found the writing quite boring and annoying in places, there were some highlights and scenes I really enjoyed, which made me finish the show eventually.

Things I enjoyed:
+ boys looked handsome
+ I think their chemistry was ok and when they were being physical it didn't look like they had to force themselves to touch each other, it was all quite nice!
+ overall good production quality, there were pretty shots, the sound quality was fine
+ the moms, they were both cool! I liked Palm's mother especially

Thing that were meh:
The characters were all pretty thin and one note.
Palm never really got away from the role of servant/bodyguard even when he spent time with Nueng and they were officially together. His dad was throwing away his life at first, then in span of one conversation he was okay leaving two teenagers go against a crime boss on their own and peaced out never to be seen again. I liked Nueng better. He was almost fighting against Palm to be let do normal things and chill and relax, he didn't want to be put on pedestal and that was great to see, this wasn't taken far enough though in my opinion - he just often kind of gave up when Palm continued to insist that he should just rest while he works.

Plot was nonsense, like it did hold together but you shouldn't really pay too much attention to it. Most annoying thing was at the end.. first Nueng leaves at night, leaving a note behind saying "Love yourself, live your life without me" and Palm doesn't listen and follows and they have a teary reunion. Then couple episodes later Palm leaves in the middle of the night, leaves p much the exact same letter to Nueng and he still believes it? Sigh, it just wasn't very interesting.

Also, the 'Never Let Me Go' cap they made Palm wear looked like it was too small for him and that always made me laugh lol

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keep the good story

overall so good to watch, recommended i can say, the main character acting is good and the story becomes interesting and more interesting for every episodes. it just ben and nueng, beside they only a high schooler, the kiss scene a bit bother me LoL but it’s not bad from other angle, it just when they zoom in… i was just questioning about their kiss. but palm and nueng kiss is great though? i’ve seen the first trailer and they have that feeling. LoL anyway, i will still follow it as long as they don’t bring boring stories.

ps: will edit my review after the series finish

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Never Let Me Go - who whom?

5 episodes so far. Thai BLs go into a more serious or adult storyline. Where Kinn Porsche had been a led to. Never Let Me Go is following that dark criminal path in the plot by a murderous threat from the outside.
Why and who is trying to kill the family members is not that clear, you can guess only. But that is okay and is rising the tension and let you think. The main leads acting is good. And the most there are no major flaws in the outfitting of the scenes ... like shirt scratching micros, or different dresses for one scene ... completed after some days, you may forget ... but when there are tears needed they miss. When they should embrace the hands still look like there is no feeling and an anxienty to touch each other ... despite the actors know each other from a previous show : Fish Upon the Sky (2021) which was partly anoying. And for Thai BLs "typical" we have a girl meddling as well. Still not too much, but let´s see what she "is up to".
What the leads get right is the difficulty for feelings between employer and employee incl. the social class differences and hesitance it is causing both.

What you unfortunately still see in the show is the lack of time for pre-, post- and production. As if they make fast food BLs ... Like in Hollywood´s "busiest times" to entertain the masses making them forget the miseries of the depression.

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Actors are too good looking

I love drama that are not too soft, this one certainly shows that. the two main actors are insanely good looking and not too feminine or too masculine just to play the role. Loving it so far hope it ends well.

Negative
Episode 4 kiss is quite bad, can be improved and lack of feeling compared to other series. But maybe there is more to it in the upcoming episodes.

Positive
Cinematography is great, but sound can be weird at times. The show is in full HD and available for free on GMTV youtube is amazing. Definitely a wothy watch, I also prevent from skipping ads when watching free official youtube drama to support the production and actors.

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A good ‘can’t go wrong’ storyline with a so-so execution.

If I was being honest, I loved the first episode. I could already tell I would want to finish it entirely from the story and its elements. (such as the bodyguard and rich mc x poor mc tropes, which I'm usually a sucker for)

The chemistry, in my opinion, was a little stiff during the first episode and was just slightly more bearable in the second. The chemistry definitely had a better shift in the third episode, not a drastically good change, just a noticeable improved positive change, nonetheless, I’m pretty sure that it will get better once Ben is out of the picture since it seems like Nuengdiao’s attention is split between him and Palm.

I personally loved the, “I’m not looking for a protector but a friend” agenda Nuengdiao had, knowing that he comes from a very guarded and rich family that prevented him from ever forming deep connections with other people his age. The development they’re doing with the two also seems promising, so hopefully, this keeps up.

I say it was a so-so execution since I’m aware that this all boils down to personal preference. Some people would absolutely love this show and its essence, some would appreciate it but not fully be able to immerse themselves because of the acting so far (aka me), especially from the actor playing Palm, considering that his character is supposed to have so much depth and room to play out the protector role of Nuengdia better, I expected him to have more emotion than just always looking intimidated and or shy. At the same time, some would rather not touch it because of some plot holes and questionable lack of logical elements that should’ve been introduced given the situation of the show.

I appreciate how Chopper is very real and it’s great to have a character that isn’t your typical all-hate-in-his-mind person knowing he could’ve been so with his background and environment.

As of the 4th episode, I’m rating this show a solid 7.5/10.

TW: Death (EP 1), Physical Violence & Bullying (EP 2 & 3)

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Great ideas with some weird script choices

I placed spoiler alert at the end of this review.

This series had a very interesting story concept. Unfortunately, the execution was not the greatest. There are some major issues with the script. The main problem for me is the middle of the series, episode 6 to the middle of episode 9, seems very out of place with the rest of the series. There are also some parts of the script that don’t make sense. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. The pacing is also very off. It started off very strong, then lost steam in the middle. I started to pick-up again towards the end, but didn’t gain the same momentum. This had a great cast which did a wonderful job with their characters considering the script they were given. The cinematograph was good with a few exceptions and there were some problems with the sound quality in some sections. The songs used throughout the series was outstanding. However, there were some poor background music choices that did not match the mood of the scene.

Random Note: Despite the major flaws with the script, the series is not that bad. I think it just has a weird mix of crime, drama, and comedy. Just don’t set your expectation too high.

******Spoiler Alerts******

The writing for the middle of the series, the island episodes, had a weird mood to it. The underline tone came across as Nuengdiao and Palm only ran away to just be alone with each other to find themselves instead of our parents just got shot and we were almost killed. There was no real sense of danger or urgency.

Some examples of problems with the script include Palm’s father healed way to quickly from getting shot in the shoulder, the weird backstory involving Palm and his mother, and the random same-sex wedding during the island episodes. It was nice to see the wedding but I thought same-sex marriages were not legal in Thailand. If this is the case (please correct me if I’m wrong), this seems very out of place considering both men were not from Thailand and were just on vacation.

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Don't ever let him go - no, really, don't

And attempt to make the title humorous was done but it failed. Anyways, there is not much to review. What I will ramble about is the almost flawless acting of Pond.

Palm comes from a fishing village, lives alone, if not in poverty then at least quite modestly. He works alongside his studies, honestly his dad looks like gets paid well, does he not send the boy enough money? Although that man is not very dutiful to his son but at least pay him good? Or maybe Palm just likes to earn his own money. Regardless, he has the practice of menial jobs and he's good at it.

A bit of backstory would have been good on when Palm got to have some combat training or sorts because his dad just brought him with go and be bodyguard of a boy of your age and protect him with your life. I mean... he mentioned that he can handle guns but still. I digress I am not here to nitpick about the plotholes because they don't have holes but there are craters.

We are talking about Pond's acting. His awkward, and a fist out of the water look is perfect when he laid his eyes on nueng for the first time. he is very understanding about the class difference as well. And his eyes that keep looking at Nueng is also the indication that there was attraction at the first sight. While Nueng doesn't trust people easily , he's not blind either.

Palm is so careful about the power imbalance that even though he's in love he almost acts like Nueng is made of glass and cherishes him with utmost softness. NGL with all the shitty plot going on, Palm is the thing that kept me going.

And one more thing. The music. each and every background music used has been extremely well chosen and well fit. I found at least two music used in the Not Me the Series in this one as well. I wonder if the same person/team was responsible for NLMG too.

The editing too was beautifully done. The beach scenes, the slow-mo bike rides, Palm and Nueng glancing at each other so openly (especially Palm) and smiling to each other has been a treat to watch.
Phuwin nailed his part being a spoiled brat but soft inside who yearns for a good friendship. But for me Pond's open display of emotions on his face and all his gestures were magnificent. But then again, Phuwin is not supposed to show his emotions because of fear and mistrust and it is understandable.


Usually I'm a complete "plot comes first" type of person but probably for the first time I focused on the characters more than the plot. If I rewatch I will probably skip through mostly and watch my favourite parts only.
A 7 is a good number for this.

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Where Your Eyes Linger

Before watching this, you need to put your brain in off mode and suspend belief because the story is ridiculous and fraught with holes and inconsistencies. If you do this, you are going to have a blast! If you don't , you will be bored out of your mind.
Another piece of advice, if you really want to enjoy this series, DO NOT read any reviews: I was binge watching it and then when I reached episode 6, the suspense was terrible and I read a review which pointed out everything that was wrong with this and of course, it completely ruined my fun!!!!

Some people compare this to KinnPorsche but this is not a mafia story. It is more of a conflict between two ways to run a business: clean and not. This is another bodyguard bl and now I hope that Thai producers have realized now that these series are just unbelievably silly and unconvincing and maybe they'll stop making them! Koreans did the first and the best one! Let's leave it at that!

The main character Neung is an 18yr old heir to his assassinated father's business empire. His uncle wants to take the business over and since he cannot, he tries to kill everyone blocking his path. So Neung goes on the run with his teen bodyguard (well, I told you to suspend belief!). ,

Let me list some of them:
- a teen bodyguard, former full time fisherman and high school student
- an heir under a threat going to school where everyone can get him
- they run away with a couple of empty backpacks
- after initial honeymoon on the beach, they decide to withdraw some money and are promptly found
- Palm's mother abandoned him because living with his father was suffocating (what a loving mother!)
- she is a tattoo artist but has no visible tattoos
- ridiculous baddie, the uncle
- Neung's mother telling Palm to leave her son alone only to tell her son, three months later to go and look for his lover
- a teen donning on a power suit and taking the business over (I guess the knowledge comes with an expensive suit!)....

And so on, and so forth....

They should have given this series another title which is a constant reaction by every character: Noble Idiocy - at one point every one had to do a self sacrificing gesture toward a loved person (mother, father, lover...you name it, it is here!) and the first prize goes to the main couple! They keep professing undying love for each other, they will face everything together and five minutes later, one or the other just disappears!

On the upside, the production is visibly excellent, scenes are pretty and there are some beautiful beach shot as well as the city at night. The music is amazing. Apart from the two songs sung by the main actors, there is a string of english language songs which raise this production above the usual thai bl. Though at one point, as Neung is leaving there is a christmas carol( The first Noel, I think) playing, which is completely out of context: nobody once mentions Christmas! That was just so ridiculous (though maybe the music editor is not familiar with western christmas music and he just liked this piano piece? Go figure!)!

And then, there were those "lovely" inspirational quotes at the end of every episode! That felt so vacuous!

The actors did their best but I could feel no chemistry between them and the actor playing Palm oftentimes looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else! And of course, Perth was just perfect!

This is a love story, a story of a first crush, of a real love, of an unrequited love. This is a story of a fine line that needs to be trod between affection and duty. This is a story of a family, the love between its members and the hatred the envie provokes. This is a story of good and evil, right and wrong and how to stay on the right path when faced with challenges.

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and i still want to know what grade they Got for the chinese class paper

Overall it is a nice Story to watch, also there are sometimes logical failures (like nueng drives the motocycle while Holding the break ) and the feeling like some scenes have been skipped....
the "i love you and never leave you" but then both of them decide to Do exactly what they promised Not to Do part was very tiering for me. Also the acting from the mother could have been more motherly , the facial expression was sometimes a bit hard/Cold.
but i liked watching the Show as a whole also i still want to know weich grade they get for their work in the chinese class.

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Worth the time spent; I especially loved Nueng's character evolution.

For some reason, my impression of this series in the past year was that it is boring and poorly acted (based on random reviews in the YouTube comment sections of various other BL shows). I finally gave this a chance only because I didn't know what else to watch.

Overall, the story is satisfying and worth the time spent. It reminds me a bit of Not Me (plot-wise), which I really liked. I especially loved episode 9, which was when I realized how much more effectively this series uses music, compared to most other BL shows.

Probably just a pet peeve (and I hardly know much about writing stories), but although "show, don't tell" is a pretty solid rule to stick by, at least a couple of times, I was irritated by the use of flashbacks when what was being shown could have simply been said naturally as part of an ongoing conversation. It was jarring and felt out of place. I barely remember now but I think one of those scenes was of Nueng talking with his mother in the hospital after she regained consciousness.

Original review @ YouTube comment section of ep 12 4/4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Q6ZWJX4fk)

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This review contains spoilers

Never Let me Go was kind of a mess for a character-driven viewer like me.

Its cinematography, camera language, colour grading, editing and choice of music were all really good. The drama was a sight to behold most of the times.

But I personally found the drama lacking when it comes the writing and the acting which are - to me - the backbone of a show.

Writing-wise, I lost count of the plotholes and the number of times the story made no sense - there are many examples of such occurrences in the comments.

Worse in my book (because I'm unfortunately used to suspending my rational thinking when watching dramas), the characters were sometimes inconsistently written, Nuengdiao particularly, who was at times shown as someone who knew how to easily navigate the dark side of being from a wealthy/influential family (when he used his influence and connections to get Palm's mom and dad released for example) and at times being completely incompetent or unknowledgeable at it (when he did nothing at all to prepare for his uncle's attack in the second part of the show, though he knew it was coming).

Some actions also made no sense from a character's point of view (such as Nuengdiao enjoying himself on an island with Palm while not knowing his shot-to-death mother's condition, or the way Palm announced his mom's death to his father, not even taking him apart to tell him the news, not even taking any caution while doing so).

Acting-wise, I know Phuwin and Pond didn't have a lot to work with, given the way their characters are written, but I still think their acting needs improving, especially Pond's in highly emotional scenes. Nonetheless, their chemistry is great.

Relationship-wise, I could never quite truly engage with Palm and Nuengdiao's relationship. There's being boyfriends and there's being actually willing to sacrifice your life for one another, and I never quite understood how we got from one to the other. I also constantly felt like the show was telling me one thing (how their relationship was epic, one of kind, unbreakable despite the challenges etc.) and showing me another (Nuengdiao and Palm breaking up two times instead of working through their difficulties, or failing to work as a team in high-pressure circumstances). I also would have loved the show to work its romance more within the plot because some romantic scenes of the last eps (the restaurant scene for example) felt really tonally jarring to me in the context of an imminent attack from Nuengdiao's uncle. All in all, I never felt Nuengdiao and Palm were the mythical OTP they advertised.

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Just here for the nature shots!

The only reason I finished this series is because of the AMAZING nature shots. The view of the mountains and all the greenery were absolutely stunning. I wish I could get a video of just that!

The acting/story
The acting was ehh okay but not great. Pond and Phuwin are both good actors, but I felt like the story line just couldn’t let them shine. They had more chemistry behind the scenes. It seems odd that the story was so blah, because the director and writers all have good dramas under their belts. But this drama just seemed lacking.

I liked the “bodyguard” troupe, but I felt the story was rushed with unnecessary details that took the up the place of a steady storyline. They tried to fit too much into the series with out focusing on how the flow went.

The soundtrack was okay, nothing special.

Rewatch value
2 stars… only because the cinematography and maybe because I like Pond and Phuwin. But it would be at the bottom of my rewatch list.

The our sky sequel episodes was a little better but not much.

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