Never Let Me Go

I'm Ride or Die for PalmNueng

The pre-existing bad reviews delayed my watching of this series, and given my rating, I'm so sad I didn't watch NLMG earlier. Anyway, I digress. I hope my review can convince someone to watch this gem of a series.

Right in the first episode, it sets the tone for the latter half of the show, and I don't understand those who feel that the gradual shift into more serious, deadly situations was sudden and random and didn't match the first half of the series. That sentiment is absolutely bonkers to me. The vibe and atmosphere from the start hinted at the future to come. The first few episodes show the calm before the storm, so to say, before the plot throws more drastic obstacles in the way of Nueng and Palm.

Saying NLMG is a "gangster" show is mischaracterizing and grossly misunderstanding the subgenre. Are there guns, shootings, and corrupt people playing dangerous games with the lives of the characters we care about? Yes.
Is NLMG in any way comparable to KinnPorsche except for the presence of those elements? NO.

Let's talk about Nueng and Palm. This series was my first encounter with both Pond and Phuwin, and they quickly took a spot high on my list of favorite BL actors. Their chemistry is amazing, and their romance is not just cute, but it has its hot moments as well. The build-up of their relationship over time is believable, and interesting, with both characters flawed and with their own prejudices, yet it becomes very clear how much they adore each other in the end.

I will acknowledge that some plot things that I clearly didn't mind might still bother some. There's some suspension of disbelief needed regarding the justice system and some things the characters don't do which you might have in their shoes. I was a little frustrated when a specific way of miscommunication between Nueng and Palm was used twice but with a different coat of paint, and yet, I still understood why it happened again. These things are worth the -0.5 off my rating.

I also want to quickly mention Ben and Chopper (Chimon and Perth) -- also my first encounter with these actors. While they are side characters, they are integral to both the plot and the main leads, and I absolutely adored their roles in the story. They are also flawed and make mistakes, just like Nueng and Palm, but they're understandable in every way and just made me love them more.

Side note; Another semi-important side character is Maggie. I heavily dislike her because I am an introvert, and she's undoubtedly very extroverted. She as a character with the personality she has might not bother you as much as she bothered me. I do think she handled dealing with Palm and Nueng pretty well, and she's a nice person too. Just not for me, hahaha.

Regardless, this show is very rewatchable to me and earned a spot among my favorite BLs without a doubt. Hope you'll give it a chance <3

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Started incredibly, but slowly declined.(still good though)

When i first started watching, i was very excited because i relay love the bodyguard x young master trope and first couple of episodes were AMAZING. but i feel that after Nueungdiao left the island to go back it just kinda crumbled and the ending felt rushed and not very satistfing to me. Most touching drama I've ever seen guranteed.

Cons:
What i am most pissed about is, this could've easily been a 10, the story was very intresting and it started SO WELL, but the writting... the lines were good but even I, AS A STUPID PERSON noticed the obvious plot holes and things that just didn't make sense, and they affected the story alot in here. Biggest one was episode 12.

I was CONVINCED that Nueungdiao, got himself kiddnaped intentionaly and they had a plan amd something, because i COULDN'T imagine that they would be so stupid after litteraly being on the run and having several loved ones die, and not to mention Nuengdiao is THE ONLY HEIR. so he must have SO MANY bodyguards, but for some reason they never did anything? None of it makes sense.

Minor thing also, the scene when Diao comes to the island to see Palm the girls who ordered the coconuts just kinda disaapeared. Not that big of a deal but kinda funny😭

Pros: ~The story was incredibly intresting, and they could've done so much more.
~VISUAL: very beautifuly shot, and i loved how the characters actualy looked real and raw, not always a perfect lightining we could see the texture on their skin. It added alot
~ACTING: Phuwin (Nuengdiao) realy surprised me, his breakdown scene and more intense sad scenes were done amazingly well. Very realistic. Other actors were good too but overall he was the best.

~CHEMISTRY: Main couple Nuengdiao(Phuwin) and Palm(Pond) had good chemistry i loved their intenser scenes the most.

Ben & Chopper : I mean i liked them, but they didnt blow me away but had decent chemistry.

Don't know what else to add but I do actualy reccomend watching it just the ending kinda eh...

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Best cinematography and real vibes

This drama has the best cinematography I've seen in any BL so far (the drive along the coast? the beach scenes? Nueng facing his uncle in that suit? ...). The vibe in this drama is so real and makes me want to travel back in time to Thailand immediately.

PondPhuwin do an amazing acting job and also shout-out to Perth whom I really liked in this. I don't know why people complain about the story, it might not be perfect but it's clearly one of the more interesting ones I've seen. Definitely a respite from the too many over-the-top-comedies in the BL world - finally a story with a perfect amount of angst and with the most beautiful calm and serious moments between the main couple.

I definitely recommend watching this for the perfect cinematographic pictures and the amazing intensity between the characters.

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Please Let Me Go

This turned out to be a drama that had an at least somewhat interesting sounding premise but was in fact just a total mess. So many plot holes, so much unnecessary drama, the acting was lacking, the OST was laughable, there just isn't much positive to say about it, unfortunately. I felt like this was yet another wannabe KinnPorsche, a severely watered down version without any of what made KinnPorsche such a hit. All in all, if you skip this drama, you won't be missing much.

The biggest issue of this drama was the plot. So much of it is just completely nonsensical. Why on earth does Palm need to act as Nueng's bodyguard when they could just hire bodyguards like Nueng does later on? What even qualifies Palm to be a bodyguard in the first place? He's a teenage fisherman, for crying out loud! How do all the "pranks" at school go on for as long as they do without some kind of intervention? And if it was that bad, why didn't Nueng just switch schools? It's not as if his family couldn't afford it. Or why not get a private tutor or something? I don't know. The fact that this was even set in high school just seemed weird to me, especially as the drama went on. Like yes, it makes complete sense that this kid is running a business empire and attending high school at the same time. Right.

Moving on from that, there's the lack of security that allows Nueng's mom to get shot thus requiring Nueng and Palm to go on the run in the first place. I mean, I would think that after her husband was killed in front of her that she would have a bodyguard and that security would have been significantly tightened, but maybe that's just me. Nueng and Palm run off to stay with Palm's mom who he hasn't seen since she left him and his father when he was a kid. There are only two purposes to this arc: to develop the romance between Nueng and Palm and for Nueng to "mature". The problem here is that we haven't seen Nueng and Palm really together for a romance to have developed. The class difference sets them apart and aside from staring into each other's eyes repeatedly, which we're apparently to take as how they fell in love, they don't interact a huge amount in a way where they would get to know each other on a personal level. But apparently they're madly in love. Okay, whatever. The second purpose is for Nueng to mature and essentially toughen up which amounts to him performing manual labor, learning how to ride a motorcycle, and paying off a loan shark. You know, super hard, transformative stuff there. The rest of the time is spent running around with Palm on the beach, apparently having the time of his life. Um, did you forget the mother that you claim to love was just shot and is in a coma? He even makes a comment at one point about it being the happiest time of his life. Your words and actions are not matching up.

In order to pay off the above mentioned loan shark, Nueng uses an ATM to withdraw the necessary money and rather than leaving town immediately, because that would be the logical thing to do, nope, he and Palm stick around, which inevitably leads to Palm's mother's death. Nueng then proceeds to break up with Palm essentially twice, the second time successfully by putting sleeping pills in his beer because nothing could go wrong with that and leaves him a note with the whole BS reasoning of go find someone who will make you happy, blah blah blah, I absolutely hate when they pull that kind of crap. It is the lamest excuse in the book and its supposed to be all noble because you're putting their happiness first but its really not. You're making a decision for them without their input and that's not fair to anyone.

Anyway, Nueng heads home and hires bodyguards for himself to follow him around which, again with this plot, what was the point of them running off when they could have just hired bodyguards in the first place? He takes over his family's business because, yes, an eighteen year old who up to this point has done nothing to help run any part of it is going to know what to do. Sure. And while I get that he's more than a little pissed at his uncle, I would be too if he tried to kill me and my mother, baiting and antagonizing him is probably not the smartest thing to do. There's also the slight matter that part of the reason that he goes back is to help Palm's father and throughout a good portion of the following events, he seems to completely forget about him. Palm and Nueng are, naturally, reunited. Turns out Palm has been following Nueng around which, I had to laugh at, because he honestly couldn't be more obvious if he tried. There's one shot where he's sitting on his motorcycle a grand total of maybe four feet from the car Nueng is in, staring at him. Nueng should probably find some better bodyguards.

Following more drama and after getting shot which led to what I assume was supposed to be an emotional scene but was more comedic, in my opinion, because, yes, when someone gets shot, the correct response is to shake them repeatedly, not put pressure on the wound, Palm breaks up with Nueng this time by leaving him a note telling him to not waste his time on him and not to look for him. I'm rolling my eyes at the stupidity of these two. At this point, I don't care what happens, I'm just ready for this drama to be over. Of course they eventually get their priorities figured out and end up together, but holy crap is it a ride and a half and not a worthwhile one.

Besides the plot, again, there's the absurdity of Palm as a bodyguard. Obviously he knows how to fight to some extent and use a gun, but its not like he has any special skills or training. And his fighting skills range from he can absolutely kick ass at times to he gets taken out with extreme ease depending how the plot needs to play out, so there's a total lack of consistency there. He's also a hot head, which is not a great character trait for a bodyguard. I admire the fact that he wants to protect the weak and his heart is absolutely in the right place, but also, honey, you need to use your head. He just reacts without a second thought and in several cases does more harm than good. In essence, the only thing that makes him a good bodyguard is his love and loyalty for Nueng.

There's also Nueng's uncle, the one responsible for all the murder and chaos going on. I like the actor, I thought he did a good job with the character, but I thought the character was lacking, especially the background. There was just enough there for me to understand the level of hatred he felt to want to kill his brother and his family. Not being the golden child doesn't quite cut it, at least not the way they did it. If that's the angle you're going with, you need to delve into it more to make it believable and make the audience understand why. Just making him jealous, greedy and deranged is boring and predictable. I want to know what makes him tick, what exactly pushed him over the edge. That's where things get interesting.

In general though, I didn't feel like any of the characters were particularly well developed or interesting. I found Chopper to be the most compelling, but frankly I think that's because of Perth's acting. There just didn't seem to be all that much to most of them. They felt fairly stereotypical without much to set them apart and make them unique. There wasn't anything there to make me care about them, again, aside from Chopper who I felt was the most sympathetic character.

The OST was weird. What is with the Christmas music in some of these dramas? I legitimately want to know what the reasoning is behind choosing these songs. Silent Night was one of them, I think, and there was at least one other. And then there was some random country song too. Do they just spin a wheel and whatever song it lands on is thrown in there? I don't know. There were some actually decent songs, but nothing spectacular, and the ones that didn't fit stuck out like a sore thumb.

The acting was very divided. On the one hand, you had Pond and Phuwin who I am sorry to say were the weakest links in this drama. Neither one was strong but it was especially conspicuous when they had any scenes with Perth who is an extremely talented actor. They were also outshone by Chimon and Nat who are also quite talented. I just didn't find their performances to be very compelling, their chemistry together was fairly lackluster, and neither one was great with the more intense or emotional scenes. Pond is just very wooden. His expressions seem very limited and he just overall lacks emotion. Phuwin, bless his heart, sometimes seemed like he was trying way too hard. I can appreciate that he was trying, but it just did not work. On the flip side, Perth, Chimon and Nat were all great and I wish they had more screen time, particularly Perth and Nat. I would have loved to have seen their characters' father/son relationship explored more. I also would have liked to have seen more of a build up of Chopper and Ben's relationship. It kind of went 0 to 60 there towards the end. I would have been far more interested and invested in their relationship if more time had been devoted to it.

I was tentatively hopeful going into this drama. It sounded like it was going to be way more high stakes, action oriented than it really was. Even with characters dying and getting injured, for some reason, it didn't feel high stakes. If the plot had been tighter, had fewer holes, and was better developed, it might have been a decent drama. And if the characters had been better developed with more background, more information as to who they were as people, I might have cared more about what was happening to them. But as it stands, I found this drama to be extremely underwhelming and it is not one that I would recommend.

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It's perfect to me

This show is in a unique boat for a couple of reasons. Possibly the most noteworthy reason is that I felt endeared by the characters regardless of the quality of each actor's performance. I managed to not recognize Phuwin until the end of the show, and when I realized he was the annoying kid from The Gifted: Graduation it made his performance in NLMG funnier. He has an animated way of speaking that's over-the-top for a more serious drama like this, but it adds dimension to a character that would otherwise be too boring if he was less dynamic. Nueng is a great character, and Phuwin was a great choice to play him. I'd never seen Pond act before, and my first impression is that he kind of sucks, but I can also give him the benefit of playing a character like Palm that doesn't require much effort. Compared to Phuwin, he seems more convincing on the surface, but his character makes him stand out less. He is, however, extremely and unwarrantedly good looking. Him and Phuwin are as perfect a visual match as one can hope for.
Chimon by default is a better actor than the two leads, and he plays a likeable character (unpopular opinion) which makes for an overall likeable performance. I won't flatter him though, everyone knows he's a decent actor already but he completely lacks any romantic potential. Luckily the character of Ben didn't really require it. Perth acts circles around anyone he shares a frame with, and putting him with the other most competent young actor in the show was a good choice. It's honestly a pleasure to see him.

As actors, the two leads aren't amazing. But together, they balance each other out in a way that showcases good chemistry. Phuwin might not be fully convincing in a serious role, but he carries a scene wonderfully when it's lighthearted and you need to smile. There are still gems in his more serious performances, like his facial expressions during their slow dance in episode 9, one of his best moments in the show. Pond's performance was almost completely one dimensional, but there was no question his character was in love. What he lacks in line delivery, he makes up for with his eyes. Any good director being keen to to this, Palm was a character of few words. Putting these actors' strengths together allows a viewer to cruise through scenes with differing moods without feeling awkward. The main couple's synergy is at its best in scenes like the ep. 8 beach scene where Nueng explains Plato's origin of love to Palm, a scene that is just genuinely so nice and cute and un-awkward that I thought "that was beautiful" after I watched it. I cringe at absolutely everything, but I hardly cringed a single time watching this show. That's a fucking miracle.

Ben and Chopper's scenes after the main couple's retreat honestly slot perfectly into the rest of the show. They aren't just a side couple off on their own mission, and they don't take anything away from the main couple. Credit can definitely be given to the superior talent of these supporting actors but I also found the story itself satisfying. It's a small redemption arc for both boys, and serves multiple purposes, of which my favorite is the simple yet effective showcase of character growth and the power of friendship.

I'm not joking when I say that the display of good communication, good morals, good friendship, and good actions are what make the show perfect for me. It is absolutely a fairytale, and that's obvious in every part of the show. Mafia vibes but set in high school? A fellow teenager as a bodyguard for your millionaire son? Fleeing to a picturesque beach? The show takes itself seriously, but it doesn't need to be taken suuuper seriously. NLMG is most obviously appealing to an audience of young adults and teenagers, and I think it's the right amount of seriousness for that audience. If your perspective is based on this being comparable to KinnPorsche, then you're already approaching NLMG from entirely the wrong angle. Lighten up and think of it as something sweet for the fucking kids. That's legitimately what it's supposed to be.

I've never seen characters in a show talk to each other and explain their feelings as clearly and directly as in this show. Whether it's stating a boundary, expressing emotions, asking for permission before kissing, etc. NLMG is a case study for good communication. I could pull quotes to use as examples but there's so many I wouldn't know which ones to choose. Not just counting the four boys, but the exploration of mother-son relationships made the show even stronger. The relationship between Nueng and his mother is absolutely comforting, and although Palm and his mother lack a relationship, she's still able to talk to him and express her situation in a way that provides some sort of peace between the two of them. Yes NLMG is completely idealistic and no one in real life communicates as smoothly and effectively as these characters do, but if depravity in fiction is green-lit then I see no reason why incorruptible characters should be a setback for shows like NLMG.

NLMG is also super low-stakes and low-stress. That's a buzzkill for a lot of people, and understandably so. But I'm serious when I say it works. I don't like romance and I like watching things that are scary or miserable or both. NLMG holds your hand the entire time you watch it, while showing you endearing moments between a young couple. It's actually insane that I loved this show so much, and that speaks to its comforting quality.

I have to also give flowers to the music in the show. It was corny and cheesy and it fit the show perfectly. You really have to appreciate the first kiss scene on the rooftop, classical music is just too good. It's crazy that scene was just minutes before the scene with Nueng and his mom where she expresses her support for him. I think I saw another comment about how the music is too cheerful in that scene, and honestly it does resemble Roblox obby music but I was too busy crying for it to affect me negatively!

I really loved this show which is why I give it a 10 overall. I'm always overjoyed when I come across a show that provides both comfort and good examples for its audience. Not suffering is really fun sometimes. NLMG is now officially one of my favorites.

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Never let me go... I don't think I ever will

I knew it was going to be heavy since I saw the trailer. The storyline didn’t seem anything special – rich boy needs a bodyguard, the job is given to a poor boy who knows how to fight, they fall in love, bunch of problems follow them. But I am a sucker for cliches, so I am not complaining about it. I do feel like there are certain things regarding the storyline that don’t make much sense or seem extremely unrealistic, but the way the relationship between Nueng and Palm develops seems fairly realistic. There was a lot of questioning what they even are, is a relationship between them even possible, trying to not develop feelings for one another and being unsure about their feelings. We need to keep in mind that the characters are 18, so all of that felt very natural.

During the series, we do get to see both make some very questionable decisions. And while they seem like very typical plot twists (which they are), they also make sense, especially after what the boys went through. I feel like they are both very mature and kind of childish at times, it’s an interesting combination that I once again blame on their age. I like Nueng’s personality because it was not your typical rich boy persona, he was actually quite brave when needed and did stand up for those he cares about. His characther growth is amazing! Palm confused me for a very long time with his constant “Mr. Nueng” even when their relationship developed, but I feel like the reason for that is his father and how he tried to make Palm know his “place” in the rich people’s world. He hates being dependent on others as well, and that shows through quite a few of his actions as well.

We do get a side couple – Nueng’s cousin, Chopper, and Ben. I don’t really know how to feel about the two, I love the chemistry between the actors who portray them, but the characters are kind of annoying me. Being an emphatic person sucks, because I also understand why the two act the way they do or why they did something. In the first few episodes, my heart hurt for Chopper because being second best for someone who is your whole world sucks. His relationship with his father is also very difficult as the two have very different expectations and goals for the future. As for Ben, I want to hate him, I really do, for what he did, but I can’t because I can understand his fear that lead his actions. It doesn’t really excuse it, but it makes it make sense.

One question though - what happened to other bodyguards? Like no matter what is happening, most of the time Palm and his dad are the only bodyguards shown doing something to protect Nueng and his mom. I understand that the two are in charge of Nueng and Tanya, but it’s still kind of weird.

The ending was expected, but I am glad it ended the way it did. I think we could all tell who will come through at the end after a few episodes. It does feel too simple though, realistically things couldn’t be done like that so easily. I know some people might be a bit annoyed by it, but it was the comfort I needed. I really enjoyed the OST as well. I felt like it fit the storyline extremely well.

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Annoying and subpar

For lack of imagination I’ll go with a bullet list for this one. Good things first (that’s going to be a short list):
- Perth is okay; not great, but okay, which still makes him stand out when compared to other cast members (I refuse to call most of them actors),
- eye candy - Phuwin and Pond spend some time shirtless and look mighty fine.

Now for the bad things – and there’s a lot of them.

- False premise and misleading merchandising.
According to the initial trailer, released in 2021 (and still available on GMMTV’s YT channel), as well as to an initial MDL tag for this show, it was supposed to be about a son of a mafia boss running away from danger after his father was killed. That’s not the case – Phiphop, Nueng’s father, is a very rich businessman dealing in hotels, and though not very popular (sometimes called a crook) he’s not a mafia boss. This reduced the ‘action potential’ of the show and made it less interesting. 5 out of 12 episodes take place at a high school, not on the run from thugs – for this part of the series the show is a subpar high school BL; again: not what the show was marketed as.

- Weak story and horrible pace for a pretentious show which takes itself far too seriously.
The story suffers from several things, mainly how bland it is and how it drags. Phiphop gets killed in episode 1, but it’s not until the end of episode 5 that Nueng gets on the run. The show loses momentum immediately – following 4 episodes take place on an island, weirdly separated and mostly unaffected by events of previous episodes. With only 3 episodes left to have a confrontation and conclusion, the closer we get to the end, the more things are rushed. Furthermore, the story is unbelievable – which many reviewers critical of NLMG already pointed out on multiple examples. How is it, that Nueng – son of a powerful businessman, hated and feared, gets bullied at school for so long? Why wasn’t he protected earlier? Why was this influential family basically unprotected – not just when Phiphop was killed by a single gunman, but also for many weeks after that? Who thought that Palm – Nueng’s peer – will be a good bodyguard? How is it, that later episodes – especially those that take place on the island – are so unaffected by earlier events? It’s just baffling that after 5 episodes of an uninteresting school drama we get 4 episodes of uninteresting boyfriend time on a tropical island – and that between those 5 and 4 episodes an assassination attempt takes place. The stakes are nonexistent: all the shooting, injuring and even killing of secondary characters falls flat, fake, unimportant, since even the main characters don’t seem to care about it. At the same time the series wants to present itself as serious (see the ‘serious’ and/or ‘dramatic’ music used in ‘important’ moments and scenes – I don’t recall a single time the music was properly applied and didn’t seem over-the-top), mature and for grown-ups – which fails miserably.

- Absent chemistry and acting.
The young cast did a very poor job, with Perth being an exception. Phuwin is very good in portraying obnoxious, unlikeable characters (see Pi in FUTS) and Nueng is like that for most of the series – I doubt the showrunners wanted that. Pond is a bit better, but it’s not acting – he’s not as wooden and lifeless as I feared he’ll be, but the only reason you can watch it is because he’s goodlooking. Chimon is mostly uninteresting and at times irritating; same goes for June, who’s character was both written and portrayed as annoying. Nat plays the least intimidating villain ever, and Pawin is generally underused and doesn’t seem comfortable playing a bad guy. Jeeez, this show really comes from the same company which employs Nanon, Ohm, Khaotung, First, Fourth, Gemini or Mix, who – despite of being amateurs – can express more with a short grin or brief gaze than this entire cast?
As with many BLs, the show could have been saved by chemistry between the characters – it usually falls to the main couple to generate most of it. Unfortunately there’s no chemistry between Pond and Phuwin. There was barely any of it in FUTS and in their “Little BIG World” they gave me a vibe of two office workers forced to complete a project together (compare this to Earth and Mix, who seem to have genuine fun working with each other on EarthMix Space and their BLs). Chimon and Perth never felt like a couple and their chemistry is nonexistent.

To sum it up: NLMG is a disappointing, boring and annoying BL; steer clear of it unless you’re a diehard PondPhuwin fan.

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C'est Meh

Overall, it's kind of just okay. Some episodes have a few engaging moments and instances of good cinematography but the majority is just *shrugs*

The chemistry was mostly *meh,* the acting was usually pretty stiff or just *meh* (with some occasional well-acted scenes), the story was all over the place or *meh,* and the OST was *meh.*

To summarize, it was a big pile of ✨meh✨

It's a skip, my friends. Unless, you're looking for eye-candy faces or abs, in which case, you do you . . . But I still think you won't truly enjoy this, if you're being honest with yourself.

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Love it

It might not be the best series but really like it. The story was kind of good where it started with a people that aren't close but built there relationship more and more each episode. This series really kept me feeling excited to watch every single week, it might not be really that much excited to watch it over again, like there might not be much plot happening each episode but it was fun watching it. One thing I don't like about the character is that I think Palm did too much of removing himself out of comfort zone. He just really likes to take away himself out from Neungdiao and it's kind of annoying. The acting was really good, I could felt the emotions they felt. The song was perfectly fitting the series. Really recommend for who that never watch. (btw I really fell in love deeper with Phuwin:))

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Love the story, the chemistry between main leads and the cinematography

I love the chemistry between Pond and Phuwin. First time watching them, and 2 months later I have been re-watching this series after it ended and also their previous series. I love how silly FUTS is, and how romantic this one is.

It is hard to imagine this thing happened to 18 yo, since even when they were younger they were playing college students in FUTS and now they're in their late teen and over 20 back playing highschooler. But, other than that all of the romantic scenes made me felt exactly like Jojo the director: melted!
Pond and Phuwin really nailed it. I love the layers of the story, some hiccups in few episodes, but other than that I love it, I watched it and re-watched it for them and the story line and I also love the songs, except the obvious fews.

I am one of them that did not like the second lead. No chemistry (no don't tell me they didn't have enough time to build it while Alan and Gaipa in MC had more chemistry in 3 mins they were given in almost each episodes). So cut the B*. I am not looking forward to their next project either. I used to like Perth in his previous project, didn;t like his music at all, but he was good in LBC. But, no single connection with his co-pair in this series. He has better acting with his dad here than whatever it is with Chimon.
I still wonder what happened to Palm's dad though? Did Jojo just forgot about him? I want to know his reaction knowing his beloved son, actually de-flowered his highly beloved boss' son Nueng Diao. That is the sight that I would like to see. I wonder if we ever going to see him again on OurSkyyy 2. I can't wait to watch PalmNueng again in OurSkyyy.

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NEW Take On 18 Yr Old, Bodyguard, Rich-Kid-Poor-Kid Story!

Overall 8.5 rating. Story 7.5, Acting 8.5, Chemistry 9, Music/Audio 9, Cinematography/Lighting 9, Rewatchability 6.5, Secondary Characters 9, Suspension of disbelief required is moderately high, Emotional angst level (mostly resolved) 9, Character emotions & psychology make sense.

Not a typical highschool, bodyguard, or rich kid poor kid story! The dynamics and interactions between multiple characters really kept my interest and the script was mostly written well. What didn't work for me is mentioned in the "general spoiler" section at the bottom of this review.

I really liked how they showed the class divide between Nuengdiao's world and Palm's through everyday examples; in both big and subtle ways. It really ties into the psychology of Nueng and Palm and their actions/decisions throughout the series stay true to character and are believable (especially for 18 year olds in love).

There is a definite magnetism between Nueng played by Phuwin and Palm played by Pond. There is a lot of great physical tension between them as they fall for each other, then a lot of skinship and some very emotional kisses.

This series had a fantastic secondary cast. Both of the moms are wonderful (yet very different from each other), Uncle Kit is an antagonist who feels like a real person (not just a one-dimensional "villain"), Chimon as Ben is charismatic, and Perth as Chopper is phenomenal with inner conflict and emotional depth.

I especially loved the dynamic between Chopper and his dad (Uncke Kit). They were both completely emotionally convincing in some very high-tension scenes.

Sound and silence were were utilized really well to enhance emotions and tensions. There were 3 songs I loved and have added to my playlist. Many of the songs have English lyrics so it was easy for me to tell how well they fit the scenes. What was odd is that there were 2 or 3 times (brief) where instrumental Christmas carols were used as background. That seemed really out of place to me and mentally took me out of the moment each time.

Pond and Phuwin are strong actors and easily had me invested in their characters quickly. They felt a little bit flat or not quite comfortable, however, in scenes that required panic (of which there are a couple). It wasn't a big detraction, but it was noticeable to me.

I really appreciated the little scene about gun safety that was added in as the young adults were training.

I will likely rewatch this at some point. I'll probably view episodes 1-8 and 12 the most frequently.

GENERAL SPOILERS below

My biggest issue with the story was how unrealistic it was about some very common-sense things. Some examples:
A very wealthy family has members who are injured or threatened yet no professional bodyguards are hired, at all? But then late in the series they are? Things pertaining to safety come up multiple times so this had me rolling my eyes.

When various people are shot the first, second, and third instincts are NOT to apply pressure on the wound to slow bleeding. Facepalm.

Palm refuses monetary payment or assistance multiple times yet later in the series is somehow able to obtain what he needs when he needs it.

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Not a Mafia Series But a High School BL

If you were expecting a mafia series from the trailer, you might be disappointed with this one. It's primarily a boys love series, centered around Nuengdiao and Palm, high school students with no connection to crime or the mafia. The series revolves around a bad uncle's desire to take over the family business, which sets the story in motion.

For true BL fans, this series is a delight you won't easily forget. Pond and Phuwin's chemistry is remarkable, reminiscent of MaxTul. Some may criticize their acting, but it's worth noting that this is only Pond's second series. While Phuwin might be a child actor, he has not had any challenging roles until this. People need to understand actors need room to grow and explore different roles. Especially, BL fans who love My School President, I can’t take your critique seriously. You want good acting but make leeway for bad acting when it suits you.

While the series isn't perfect, it's still much more enjoyable than many other BLs released by GMMTV and other Thai production companies. Pond and Phuwin's onscreen chemistry is simply magical, making them one of the best BL couples today. If you watched any of their deleted scenes, you know that the plot holes are the directors choice to make it fluffy instead of dark as many wanted.

This is why Director Jojo is overrated, mainly because of his acclaimed series '3 Will Be Free.' He claimed that he was inspired to make 'Never Let Me Go' 90's Hong Kong crime movies feel about an interclass romance Thai larkorn, but the final result deviated significantly from these concepts. The deleted scenes, in contrast, showcased elements that adhered closely to the original concept of the series. However, being a production under GMMTV, the series ended up diluted, much to the disappointment of many viewers who were eagerly anticipating the well-acted and conceptually-rich trailer. Even the second trailer was misleadingly edited to suggest a more dramatic and substantial BL series, leading to dissatisfaction with the eventual watered-down version. It is regrettable that Pond and Phuwin bore the brunt of the blame as the face of the series, while Jojo's editing choices went largely unquestioned and unaccounted for.

On a side note, I must admit that Chimon isn't the most exceptional actor, but Perth shines in his role. Some scenes, like the one outside the hospital room, rub me the wrong way, especially with Ben's smirking while the cousins were crying. I don’t see the great acting Chimon fans were raving about.

Lastly, I'd like to add that people who criticize the portrayal of bodyguards might be influenced by Hollywood clichés and may not have firsthand experience with wealthy individuals who have bodyguards.

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