They knocked me out to make me fall in love with this series.
First of all, I have to say that I'm a VERY demanding person when we talk about series, films, and audiovisual productions in general. It's my study area too.So, when I say that this BL is a 10/10, I'm very serious about it. It's magic. Also, if you're worried about the age gap, don't be, it's completely innocent.
About the storyline, it's precious. You understand the characters and you fall in love with their development. The plot IS SO ORIGINAL! I know that's based on a novel, but I really have to recognize the director's ability to put that in a series, bcs it's so different from everything that we have in the BL world. It's a typical comedy Thai BL, funny, and exaggerated. But the way that they portrayed the characters made everything so delicate.
I also love how it's SO THAI. It's not a product made for international fans, it's for Thai people. The culture, the references from the 90s, it's so unique.
But all of them would be nothing without the incredible performance of Tar (Noey) and Bom (Thi). They both killed their characters, Noey it's such a specific character, and the way that Tar portrayed him was essential to the final product. And Bom too, since Thi character needed to be really REALLY cute, and Bom is adorable. The way that he was so natural, even with the character exaggerations, was absolutely lovely.
Really, I Will Knock You it's a magic experience, one of the best BLs that I have ever watched. It's amazing. Also, I love Noey for life, the best character ever.
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Surprisingly charming and worth the watch: a short review
This show has an interesting yet fairly standard premise -- but with a twist.The story of "tutoring someone and then falling in love" is a classic Thai trope, and is the staple plot thread for this show. It is incorporated well into the story, which in and of itself is a feel-good, wholesome romp with incredibly poor comedic timing and misplaced sound effects. This may seem like a negative, but for this show, it manages to make it part of the charm. The acting is "over the top" but not "OVER THE TOP over the top", matching the acting to the tone intended for the scene. The sad bits were sad and not overly dramatic, and the funny bits were hilarious to the point I was curled up in pain from laughing. I enjoyed the evolution of the dynamics between characters, and the show managed to make the misunderstandings actually funny rather than stress-inducing. I loved the twist of the Watphlu gang all dressing like 80's greasers -- this just added so much more to the vibes of the show.
The music is a running theme throughout the show, in the background just linking bits together, and the cinematography is fairly standard decent quality with nothing too special.
Overall, I'd recommend watching this on a day you need a pick-me-up or just want to watch something wholesome.
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One of the most underrated BLs
When I started this series, I will admit I had a hard time adjusting at first, something about Thi drove me crazy. But I fell for Noey and his crew almost immediately. And over time, as you see the evolution of Noey and Thi this truthfully becomes one of the shows with the highest rewatch values (for me at least). The characters are dynamic, the story, although not flawless, is light and entertaining, and the music is truly 🤌🏼😮💨I wish this show had a higher score on MDL, because it truly is a solid BL. I think part of its low score may have to do with the somewhat pg nature of the show. This isn’t at the level of LITA or Kinnporsche, or even a GMMTV show these days in terms of spice. Its pillowy soft and sweet like marshmallows.
If thats the kind of show you like, this is for you. If you want spice and lots of kisses, you wont find what you want here. Me? I’ll probably do a rewatch in the near future.
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This series will knock you down
If there is one thing that I appreciate in a series is a well written character and this one doesn’t disappoint. Although there have been countless series with young characters in love, this one just hits you differently. This is all because the series takes its time developing characters and their relationships. There is no love at first sight or true feelings hidden behind friendship or raw overwhelming emotions. Instead, we get genuine interactions between characters, inner monologues explaining what the characters feel and true portrayal of relationships between siblings, friends, parents and lovers.Although on the outset the story is about a good guy falling for bad guy to ultimately show him the error of his ways and turning him around, this one is so much more. We have Thi, a shy, naïve and studious college student who due to multiple unfortunate circumstances ends up being a tutor for Noey who is a delinquent and a leader of a local gang. During their multiple interactions Noey starts to have feelings for Thi while Thi, although disapproving of Noey’s ways thinks he is cool.
The story moves at a slow pace taking time to show Thi and Noey and their characteristics. Thi may be naïve and a coward but when push comes to shove, he doesn’t run away from a fight. Noey on the other hand has a softer side and only his family and close friends of aware of it. What makes watching this series an entertainment is the performance of Tar (Noey). He has done a remarkable job portraying a young delinquent with a heart of gold. You can feel his frustration as well as his love in various scenes. He alone carries the weight of this entire series. Next is Ohm, the guy who plays Noey’s best friend. The brotherhood between the two characters is portrayed rather astoundingly throughout the series. I didn’t enjoy the role of Thi as in many scenes he appears way naïve for his age although I do feel that Bom who plays Thi has done all that he could to play this faulty character.
In conclusion, this series wins in my book for a great storyline, wonderful actors, some good cinematography and nice soundtrack. I watched all the end credits to enjoy the little dance between the 2 characters.
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Odd. Sometimes, painful to watch. Shouldn't have worked out...
This may be a hard watch for some people. While it leans more towards reality, it can be frustrating how Noey treats Thi - especially, for the first six episodes. Things don't relax until the seventh episode and you can exhale and just watch them interact with each other. I got to like everyone - his gang - the school mates - etc. Usually, there are several annoying characters but, not this one. Refreshing.Was this review helpful to you?
A fun watch
This series is a light-hearted comedy and it doesn't take itself seriously and you shouldn't either.In the first few episodes I found Thi very annoying and wanted to drop it, but after he and Noey got closer, he wasn't as annoying anymore.
What I liked the most:
The 80's (or 50's?) aesthetic was one of the reason's why I enjoyed it so much, the gang's style, music and Noey's room.
I loved Noey's character, he was perfectly casted and the character is adorable and charming in his own way.
The comedy. While watching this, I ended up snickering multiple times (even though it wasn't a 100% my humor).
What bothered me the most:
The age gap. At first I assumed that Thi is a freshman at university and that he and Noey are only two years apart, but apparently there is a bigger gap as I noticed later, that made me uncomfortable. But, to be honest, Noey acts more like an adult than Thi, so it's not that noticeable.
And what I just found out, that the actors also have a wide age gap(almost 10 years), and that kind of makes their ship even weirder.
Their chemistry. Thi and Noey have good chemistry... as friends. But considered their age gap, that's probably better.
Conclusion:
I give it a 7/10, which means it isn't bad, but it wasn't the best. The story was enjoyable, simple but funny, but the age gap ruined it a little bit.
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Waste of time
I'm half convinced the reviewers here who gave this series above 9 are involved in an elaborate prank because I get how this may appeal to certain people but there is no world where this should be rated that high.My biggest issue is with Thi. I agree that he's probably not capable of manipulating Noey but that in itself is a huge character flaw. He was fully in uni and still couldn't even avoid getting into sticky situation with a literal 15/16 y.o. I'd understand if this was a footballer whose had tons of concussions but this is a dude who is supposed to be smart? But there he is, getting picked up at uni by his love interest who is still wearing his school uniform. I know they delayed the kiss until Noey graduated, but how the hell did he even get himself into being courted by a minor when he is a full grown adult. The fact that they delayed the kiss means that they know that the age gap is problematic.
This also led to my second point - the casting itself is hugely problematic. Why would you cast actors that have 9 years age difference (with one being a minor still) as each other's love interest? It's actually horrifying seeing how they treat the age gap as a non-issue.
This was the first series where I actively root against the main characters getting together. I should've dropped this drama but I trusted the reviews that said that it gets good after 7 episodes and by that point I might as well finish this. The only good thing about this drama is Noey's character. He is so earnest and he will make you want to root for him. If only he had an age appropriate love interest.
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Linda pero no la volvería a ver
Me gustó la interacción de los dos protagonistas, sin embargo todo pasó demasiado lento y a veces eso creaba mucha frustración (apenas se pone interesante en el capítulo 7-8). Drama? El necesario. Solté una que otra lágrima. Honestamente me pareció graciosa la actuación de Thi aunque a veces era desesperante jajajaja el personaje de Noey me pareció súper divertido y muy elocuente.Sin embargo, no la vería de nuevo, siento que podría haber quedado mejor en una serie con menos capítulos porque aún así quedaron cabos sueltos sin resolver.
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Funny, entertaining, cute, great coming of age BL series
Usually, I am not really into highschool or college setting BL series because I watched tons already and I'm sick of it but I give this a try because it made me curious when I saw the trailer.That said, I thoroughly enjoyed 'I Will Knock You'! This BL series offers a refreshing take on teenage gangster life, blending cute moments, humor, and heartwarming scenes that kept me hooked. The characters' dynamic and interactions are genuinely endearing.
I think the series could benefit from exploring Noey's father's backstory – a glimpse into his life or fate would add another layer to Noey's character as it is not shown what happens to him, whether he is alive or dead. Initially, I found Thi a bit frustrating due to his passivity and cowardness especially every time Noey bullied him. It would've been great to see Thi stand up for himself more or, better yet, if the series started with them as enemies, with Noey's constant teasing pushing Thi to his limits.
Despite these minor critiques, I loved many aspects of the series including the cinematography - it's awesome. The OST, particularly the song about destiny, resonated with me – there's something about old-school tunes that hits home. Noey's stylist in this series deserves a raise! His vintage-inspired fashion, hairstyles, and even the gang members' looks are fantastic. It's adorable how Noey's style reflects his love for vintage things, from his clothes, movie choices to his trusty Nokia dumbphone in a world of smartphones.
Overall, 'I Will Knock You' is a charming series with great characters and style. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of BL and coming-of-age stories!
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soooo slow-paced
I would give this series a 10 for all the nice details put together, for the beautiful camera movement and especially for the adorable young actors... BUT the action soon becomes sooo draggy that literally nothing happens for long long minutes. I totally understand that life is like that, mostly relying on small gestures, but for a drama i expect something different.Maybe it's just me losing patience?
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Better than I expected
Wow!! Didn’t know what to expect going in and really loved the show from the first episode. It was unique and well acted. Thi got on my damn nerves at times but goodness did I end up loving him. The show was nothing groundbreaking but it was a very well made BL story. The acting was fantastic the characters were so likable and the story kept me engaged. I will miss this cast so much and after the ending roller coaster of episode 11 the ending made up for any of its missteps and tie’s everything together in a nice now. Well done ever one involved.Was this review helpful to you?
From the retro atmosphere…to the enchanting garden grove restaurant…to the reverence at the Buddhist Temple…to the innocent romance….I was enthralled with every moment of it.
What I found especially intriguing..and encouraging..about this production were the numerous scenes showing the unfailing respect and reverence that the trouble making gang showed towards the monks and the Buddhist temple.
I hope to see the two main actors together again in another comedy BL series. I rated it a 9 out of 10.
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