Never Let Me Go

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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If your bodyguard isn't looking at you like you're both his mission and his entire future.

How do you review Never Let Me Go when your main memories are rich boy problems, bodyguard tension, and staring at Palm and Nuengdiao wondering if breathing is optional?

This series really looked at the bodyguard trope and said, "What if we added assassinations, family betrayal, inheritance battles, emotional repression, and enough longing to power Thailand?"

Nuengdiao grew up surrounded by wealth but isolated by it.

Palm grew up with very little but somehow understood people better than anyone else around him.

One had everything except freedom.

The other had freedom but very little else.

And somehow they became exactly what the other needed.

Phuwin gave Nuengdiao so much vulnerability beneath the confidence and sharp edges. Watching him slowly allow himself to trust someone after a lifetime of loneliness was genuinely beautiful.

And Pond as Palm?

The man looked at Nuengdiao like he was simultaneously his greatest responsibility and his favorite person in the world.

The bodyguard assignment never stood a chance.

Palm and Nueng weren't just falling in love.

They were becoming each other's safe place in a world determined to take that away from them.

The beach scenes, the motorcycle rides, the quiet conversations, the moments where they could simply exist as teenagers instead of heirs and protectors became some of the most memorable parts of the series.

Then there were Chopper and Ben, who quietly gave us another story about expectations, family pressure, and trying to figure out who you want to become.

The supporting cast helped create a world that felt dangerous, complicated, and very real.

And can we please talk about the people behind the camera?

Director Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon once again proved that yearning is apparently one of his favorite filmmaking tools.

Every look lasted exactly one second longer than necessary.

Every moment of silence somehow said more than dialogue ever could.

Every frame looked cinematic enough to belong in a movie.

The cinematography deserves special praise.

The contrast between the cold luxury of Bangkok and the warmth of the seaside scenes beautifully mirrored Palm and Nueng's emotional journey.

The soundtrack?

A co-conspirator in emotional destruction.

Every song somehow knew exactly when your heart was becoming stable enough to hurt again.

Never Let Me Go wasn't simply a bodyguard romance.

It was a story about loneliness.

About responsibility.

About choosing who you want to become when everyone else has already decided for you.

This wasn't rich boy × bodyguard.

This was "I would burn the world down for you" disguised as a coming-of-age story.

10/10.

Would absolutely watch Palm risk everything and Nuengdiao learn how to trust and love all over again.

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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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very interesting concept but the execution was lacking

This show had a very interesting premise but, in my eyes, didn’t allow itself to go down an either darker or more lighthearted road and therefore couldn’t utilize iit. This show dealt with death and abuse but kept it all very PG-13. You definitely can still make a dark show with that rating, but this show specifically failed. This show wasn’t able to juggle and perfectly balance out romantic, dramatic, and sad moments. Therefore, it would’ve been easier if they just leaned more in a darker or lighter direction.

To give an example. At one point, Nueng’s mother and Palm’s father both get shot by assassins. And their knee-jerk reaction is to flee to a beach and hide there for idk how long and just chill there and have fun. They try to make it seem like Nueng has the best time of his life to lay the groundwork for the finale, but it doesn’t work. One moment Nueng is there, having the time of his life (even saying that he’s never been happier) and then we are reminded “oh right, the mom could be dead by now” but this show doesn’t want us to dwell on that too long, because oh look! another cute moment between our leads!

So, either this show goes into a darker direction and let’s Nueng and Palm show more humanity and worry about their parents or they go down a more lighthearted road and tell us “yeah they are fine, now look at them swimming in the ocean!” both doesn’t work. Or rather, this show didn’t make it work.

While Nueng and Palm had a stronger beginning, their ending felt weak. I absolutely love the bodyguard trope. There is just so much external and internal conflict right at your feet but the writers stepped over it. There was some interesting back and forth and testing boundaries and how far they could go. Especially since Palm’s dad seemed really really concerned his son might overstep a line and get them fired or something. And after Nueng’s outburst at the dance, yelling at Palm to “know your place” and calling him a mere bodyguard, etc. In the end it was a bigger deal to me than Palm it seemed. It should’ve laid the groundwork for future insecurities and struggles. You tell me that everyone around Palm kept telling him that there was a clear boundary that Palm shouldn’t dare to cross and that he was worth less than Nueng and he was only there to protect the rich and wealthy and he was like “yeah, anyway”? A shame. Palm just seemed to get over it too quickly, after his own father was telling him the same. It’s like everyone around Palm kept telling him the same thing and Palm just ignored it as best as he could.

The writers were also such cowards and didn’t like to address the obvious classism. They constantly brought it up but as soon as it could’ve actually made things interesting, they dropped it. Same goes for the “bad rich and good rich people” mentality. In BL there are only two types of rich people. The Good Rich People and the Bad Rich People. Nueng rarely gets called out on his privilege because he wants to help the less fortunate by playing piano for a dance club for seniors. His family is apparently stupidly rich but they are good rich people, so it’s fine. You can say about Not Me what you want, but at least they were very clear about one thing (and I am grossly simplifying here) “there is no such thing as good rich people because as long as they are hoarding their money and don’t help others with it, they are bad rich people”.

The bullying at school was definitely a choice. And to have the class president constantly come in after a “prank” and yell “guys come on, stop it” and his “I am the class president I can take care of it” obviously you can’t, Ben.

Also, you shouldn’t give away your villain if you aren’t doing anything with it. I was a bit let down after they revealed who killed Nueng’s father immediately. There was no mystery aspect to it, instead we got many mustache-twirling evil-laughter scenes with him. I always cringe when a grown-ass man is after a teenager. The only good thing about it was that it introduced an opportunity to us for a very interesting character that this show didn’t allow to become something great. Chopper.

I would’ve loved it if they allowed Chopper to be more of a flawed character. He remained pretty solid throughout the show, always trying to do the right thing and stopping his father for the most part. And I wish they would’ve given him a bit more room to explore him trying to help his father by spying on Nueng, or idk.

Chopper was by far the most interesting character for me. He was the most morally gray out of the teenage cast and definitely had a lot of internal struggles that were brushed over. His dynamic with Nueng was great. The “doesn’t matter if our parents hate each other, it has nothing to do with us” was a feast they didn’t eat. They never allowed Chopper to get close to Nueng, so his betrayal of never telling him what his father did, didn’t hit as hard. Especially when Nueng returned from the beach and tossed him aside. So much angst and drama that they chose to ignore.

With that we come to my next point. Chopper and Ben’s relationship was a mere fraction of what it could’ve been. Basically, Chopper confessed his feelings for Ben and Ben rejecting, causing them to grow apart. And right after we find that out, Ben and Chopper both insinuate that they have feelings for each other and make it more or less known to the other. And after that there isn’t much development until they…suddenly decide to move in together. We don’t even get a dead fish kiss, imagine that. Not even a high five.

On top of that, this show wanted to frame Ben as Chopper’s moral compass. Ben telling Chopper to betray his father and stop him from committing more crimes and get more people killed felt ultimately flat because Chopper was never trying to do anything but that. He tried to reason with his father, but you can’t expect a teenager to stand up to his father who literally cuts people’s hands off IN FRONT OF HIM for a living.

The whole “you should stop your father” felt really insensitive coming from Ben, after he couldn’t stand up to his own father and be honest about the kiss. It was really hypocritical. And after everything, Chopper get’s shipped off to England to follow Ben to university (and we never get a scene where Chopper and Ben talk about moving to Europe together since it… seems like a pretty big move). We don’t even get a heartbreaking goodbye between Chopper and his father. He seemed devastated after he got shot and the next scene is him being sad about his father being in jail and that’s it. He rides off into the sunset with Ben never to be seen or heard from again. And there goes the most interesting character, wasted.

Same goes for Palm and his mother. At first it seemed like Palm had a lot of resentment toward her for leaving him and his dad behind. But after she explained that she wanted to flirt and party and live her life and just wasn’t ready for a child, all seemed forgiven. And then she’s killed and Palm shed a tear or two and that’s it. Nueng got almost the entire show whining and crying over his dead father and injured mother, but Palm didn’t even get an episode or two for his injured father and dead mother? Seems fair.

I wish they would’ve divided the focus on Palm and Nueng more equally, instead of blatantly favoring Nueng and his family over Palm’s (in a way it’s poetic how the rich family get’s more screen time and is favored over the poor family).

Or, and here I come with a drastic change, make this show about Chopper and Nueng. Two cousins who really love and care about each other are thrust into a family feud that neither of them want to deal with because “no matter if our parents hate each other, it has nothing to do with us”. More or less, the bad buddy road if you will but without the romance and more family bonding. I know that this show is about Palm and Nueng and I really love the bodyguard trope, I do. But I feel like there was so much unexplored potential with Nueng and Chopper.

The ending was okay, even though I’m really over the “separating the couple for ages in their time but for five minutes on screen” trope. Even though I did understand it from their perspective at the very least. I know that many wanted a sad ending but I personally am not really a big fan of those, so for all it’s worth, the ending was fine.

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It's fun if you don't take it seriously

I originally watched this series while airing and although I enjoyed it I still thought it was dumb so I gave it a 5. After watching Jack and Joker recently and being utterly disappointed by how dumb the story I remembered this one and thought that 5 was to harsh because at least this one somewhat makes sense sometimes so I decided to re-watch and give it a better rating if needed.

10 episodes into the re-watch I have to admit that 5 was generous enough. It's cute, with great scenery, good looking leads and great soundtrack. But all the plot holes and the bad acting make it a tough watch, especially the second time around.

I would recommend to watch this one if you have nothing else to do, just enjoy the silliness and the beauty of it. Also the special episodes are cute I recommend to watch them once your done with the series.

Em did I say the specials were good?? I was sure I had liked it the first time around, I had given them a 6 🤣 The specials are so so much worse, but again, pretty scenery beautiful boys, watch if you're bored, forget logic and enjoy the silliness.

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