Hidden Agenda

Basic Agenda

Ugh.

That's it. That's the review.

Tell me why it took me all of 3 months to finish this show. Was it because I was waiting anxiously for an episode to drop each week? No, all the episodes are out and I'm watching in 2024. Was it because I was too busy to watch? No, I have no life. Was it because this series was so painfully dull that it was like watching paint dry? Yes. But because I am a glutton for punishment I have to finish every series I start regardless if I like it or not.

So I will break it down by category:

*Story*: What story? The story/plot is so non-existent it's laughable. Zo likes Nita, Zo asks Joke for help, Joke helps cuz he likes Zo and wants to get close to him, Zo falls for Joke, yay. In all seriousness there was some potential for a cool sub-plot, like the stalker angle. The stalker sub-plot lasted all but 1 episode...ONE. What was the point of that? Also, the random scenario where Pat gives Joke all of Zo's information then Zo gets mad and stops talking to Joke? Again, what was the point because he just forgives him an episode later. It seems like all of these subplots last for a total of 1 episode with the exception of the debate.

*Acting/Cast*: Sigh. I love JoongDunk, I really do, I think their personalities are so fun but what in the ever loving f*** was this. JoongDunk have more chemistry off camera in their day to day than they do on screen. Joong had the same facial expression the entire series and Dunk was a walking f***ing bobblehead with that same goofy a** expression. GMMTV please put them in some acting lessons. I beg. I want the best for them, I really do because I do love them but this show just wasn't it. Main leads aside....now to the 2nd couple....let me say this with my whole d*** chest....AOUBOOM MAIN LEADS IN A SERIES WHEN??????!!! AouBoom were incredible, they actually made me feel something, anything, during this stale a** series. The scene where Boom was leaving Aou and Aou grabbing him in desperation not wanting him to leave had me clutching my pearls....or when they were both in the car and Aou tells Boom he had to leave his soccer team because he chooses him over soccer had me in TEARS. They were the shining light in this whole series even though they were in it for like a collective total of 20 minutes. And the supporting cast....they were, fine.

*Music*: OST was fun, Joong has a nice voice.

*Rewatch Value*: Nope.

In conclusion, I recommend this series if you are a fan of the following:
-JoongDunk or AouBoom
-Bobbleheads
-Debate
-Miscommunication
-Needy boyfriends
-Overbearing Mothers
-A million subplots that last an episode
-Crappy Screenwriting

If you are a fan of one or all of these things, Hidden Agenda is for you...if not...skippppp.

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Star in Your Mind pt. 2

The first teaser for the series was exciting. I really liked how the vibe and the characters seemed different from those in Star in Your Mind. I was excited about it and was really looking forward to seeing Joong and Dunk in something a bit more angsty. And then the second trailer dropped. And then the series. And all my hopes went down the drain.

The plot ended up being kind of messy and confusing with quite a few plot holes and inconsistencies. There was no reasoning behind a lot of the things, including some very crucial aspects – like why Joke likes Zo. They just went from arguing to Joke looking at Zo with hearts in his eyes. I was expecting the whole Joke – Nita – Zo triangle to take longer to both develop and solve, especially as it was shown as the biggest part of the plot in the trailer. And yet it was done and over so soon. The whole idea of the hidden agenda was also not explored enough. It was hinted at and glossed over so quickly, it’s like it has never happened. Generally speaking, problems were not given enough time to properly develop and to have some sort of reasoning behind them.

And as much as I hate to do this, the whole series felt like Star in Your Mind part two or an alternative universe version of it. Not only did the characters played by Joong and Dunk appear to be pretty much the same in both series, but there was also the whole thing with Joong’s characters having a (ex)girlfriend and pinning after Dunk’s character. I found the series to be quite boring most of the time. It was just Joong and Dunk being cute. It was sweet the first time we saw it, the second time around was just boring.

Don’t get me started on the debates. It’s like they have done no research on how a debate actually goes. I tried to see if this is the Thai structure, but I couldn’t find anything online. But I can tell you that it is definitely not the NOVA structure of a debate. I have seen my fair share of debates in real life (even participated in one or two), and the Hidden Agenda version of a debate is very far from the reality of it.

Joke & Zo: they were cute together; I’ll give them that. Joke appears to be more closed off and quite awkward at times. His relationship with family seems to be quite strained as well, but it’s not really explained why. It just is. Zo also has a strained relationship with his mom, but that is something that is addressed in the series. And it makes sense. Zo seems to be kind of naïve at times, but there is more to him than that. The way their relationship happens, and progresses is very strange. It goes from nothing to everything very quickly. Almost too quickly. I have already mentioned how Joke’s feelings for Zo are never really explained. At least Zo’s feelings make sense. And while the two of them talk about some important things – yay for communication and setting boundaries – they also tend to either forget or ignore what they talked about. Joong and Dunk have great chemistry, there was definitely a lot of improvement when it comes to their kissing scenes. But there is something about Dunk’s acting that just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t know what it is exactly, but it just feels off at times

Jeng & Pok: I like the fact that they were an already established couple dealing with realistic problems. Pok is such a cutie! He might seem adorable and naïve only, but he can be very mature and can stand up for himself when it’s needed. Jeng is struggling with who he is and who he shows to others, he fears rejection and judgment from his friends. And that is something that leads to a lot of tension between the two. Aou and Boom both did great and had an amazing chemistry. I wish we could have seen more of them.

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Felt like I was watching Star in My Mind 2

but with much better communication between Joke and Zo. At least they're problems they were able to fix quicker by actually talking to each other unlike Kluen and Dao. Still the story is basically the same: two college students, one has a one side crush on the other at first, there's a girl heavily involved: rinse, recycle, repeat. I only liked it a little more than SIMM because the characters are way more mature emotionally, esp Joke. At least in this one I didn't want to tear my hair out with any arguments the characters may have had etc. Other than that, it's essentially the same story. Dunk's acting is still stiff, and I still have to feel any chemistry between JoongDunk that's not forced. I hate those forced, cliche, chemistry moments and there was ton here. As for rewatch value: I'll probably rewatch when I'm bored or don't have anything else to watch.

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Yeah, that wasn’t it…should have stayed hidden.

Hidden Agenda was, unfortunately, one of the most underwhelming BL dramas I’ve ever watched. The storyline felt like a hard labor to get through—uninspired, predictable, and lacking the emotional depth that’s crucial for this genre. Every episode seemed like a chore, with the plot dragging its feet and failing to capture any real sense of intrigue or engagement.

The acting did little to redeem the series. It was more than underwhelming; it was flat and unconvincing. The leads lacked chemistry, and their performances felt forced, as if they were merely going through the motions without truly embodying their characters. Like the actors have more chemistry, out of the series. Emotional scenes fell flat, comedic moments felt cringeworthy, and there wasn’t a single performance that stood out as memorable.

Finishing Hidden Agenda was a true pain in the ass. I kept hoping for something—anything—that would redeem the drama, but it just never delivered. Even the production quality, while adequate, couldn’t distract from the uninspired writing and lackluster performances.

I rarely give such a low rating, but Hidden Agenda earned it. A 2/10 feels generous, and that’s solely for the effort it must have taken to put the series together. Overall, it’s a drama I wouldn’t recommend, and I’d gladly forget I ever watched it.

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It’s worth a try.

I placed a spoiler alert at the end of this review.

If you’re looking for a cute and somewhat lite series, then give it a try. The story concept was ok, but the script was messy. The first four episodes were weak, weird and cringy. It got better by episode 5 but it felt like I was watching a different series at that point. The relationship pacing for Joke and Zo was off at first. I like the secondary BL couple more because they were already an established couple with a real problem. I was also able to predict one of the story elements very quickly. I liked how unpredictable the ending of the series was. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. It had a lot of wasted/filler screentime that I skipped. The acting was good from most of the cast.




******Spoiler Alert******

We get a series of flashbacks in episode 1 that hinted how the rift between Joke and Zo started but did not fully explain what exactly happened during the contest.

There was no smooth transition between Joke and Zo going from enemies to friends. However, the transition from them going from friends to lovers was better and more realistic.

I liked how they addressed the issue of dating someone that’s not out yet and the toll it takes on an individual that is in a secret relationship. I just wish this couple had more screen time, especially considering how much filler scenes/wasted screen time the series had.

I was able to guess by the first episode that Pat was helping Joke with his “hidden agenda.”

As for the ending, it was refreshing that we didn’t get the predictable relationship problems in episode 11.

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JoongDunk: The Series

Let’s get this out of the way: this is very much "JoongDunk: The Series". Everything else: the side characters, the plot, themes and conflicts, were put aside to make way for the main couple’s cuteness. And don’t get me wrong, they are cute. They have great chemistry and their intimate scenes are *chef’s kiss*. And although many people complain about the acting, honestly, I've seen worse.
Still, I wish the series was more.
To me, the biggest problem was that all the conflicts were thrown seemingly out of nowhere (unless you paid attention to a single line mentioned by an extremely side character a few episodes earlier), then solved immediately and never mentioned again. That made the series seem very fragmentary, with no overarching plot that would connect all the episodes into one coherent story.
I can’t help but think about Tee Bundit’s other series, “Something in My Room”. I watched it uncensored (70 minutes per episode) because the censored version had some really bizarre editing choices, with key scenes being removed to the point where the plot didn’t make much sense. I wonder if the same thing happened here, except we’ll never get the full show.

Here’s how I would make it:
As many people said, Jeng and Pok should have more scenes. Jeng coming up with excuses to avoid being seen in public, Pok being increasingly bothered by it, until he can’t take it anymore and tries to break up. Jeng with his football co-players (I can’t call them friends), witnessing their machoism and homophobia. Pok crying in Zo’s arms. And so on.
The debate club should play a bigger role. We should see more debates, preparing for debates, etc. The screenwriters could use this opportunity to discuss social issues, like marriage equality or queerbaiting in media (tee-hee). Also, the big competition should take at least half a season, not be mentioned twice, then thrown in at the last minute.
During the preparation, Wave’s distaste for Joke should become prominent. And mutual. Zo may have noticed and asked Joke, who’d say it’s not his place to say. Maybe he’d known about what happened between Trine and Wave, maybe he’d just known they had a conflict. In any case, Zo would have to do a bit of investigating.
While we’re here, I wish Nita would get more screen time, so we could get to know her as more than a “love interest”. Maybe give her a reason to want to win the scholarship? And us a reason to root for her?
James should show up earlier, stick around Zo, but always disappear when Joke or even Zo’s friends show around. Zo’s friends would notice there’s something off about the guy, so it wouldn’t feel like Joke’s just being paranoid.
Also, Zo’s mother should be more present, calling or texting Zo and putting pressure on him (even interrupting his dates). Maybe a scene or two of Zo scrolling social media and seeing her pose with her accomplished students? Also, the situation should be resolved with something more than it was (an apology maybe?).
Same with Joke’s father. I know it was meant to be a surprise, that Joke was going through the same thing as Zo the whole time, but the resolution we got left me feeling “wtf just happened?”. Joke’s father goes from 0 to 1 in a matter of seconds and for no reason other than “Zo told him to.”
To accommodate those changes:
The pointless faux-breakup in the last episode could be cut, it didn’t serve anything.
While Puen’s story was important in explaining Zo’s initial hesitation, the reconciliation could be cut. No one cares about him and he never shows again.
A lot of Joke and Zo's dates could be shortened.

Anyway, the series we got was a mindless fluff, something to switch your brain off and relax. I don't regret watching it, but I wouldn't do it again (although I will rewatch certain scenes, because damn).
If you really have to watch it, stick to the last parts of ep 4, 7, 8, and 10 and the beginning of ep 11. Thank me later.

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Lenta, porém deliciosa!

Eu amei como o romance é construído, não teve traição e a enganação foi Joke já gostar de Zo há muito tempo!
Muito fofos, atuação não é das melhores, mas só alguns personagens se perdem ali, Nita foi usada na medida certa. Vovó maravilhosa, só gostaria de saber como o pai de Zo ficou, se ele foi pra casa ou não.
Os beijos muito fofos e a cena da primeira vez do casal foi muito fofa na medida certa!
Sorri demais toda vez que eles se beijavam ou se abraçavam, fofos DEMAIS!
Lembrei um pouco do meu relacionamento, nesses longos 7 anos foram muitos altos e baixos e ficamos juntos, crises vieram, mas relacionamento é isso, é algo fluido que precisa estar todo tempo se adaptando as pessoa envolvidas!
Muito amor e respeito envolvido!

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Um BL comfort!!

Quando iniciei esse BL eu não fazia ideia de qual seria o plot, e confesso que fui pega de surpresa pelo caminho que a história tomou. O primeiro episódio tem o casal como inimigos, a partir do segundo ep começa o plot de "ajudar a conquistar outra pessoa", e a partir do quinto a dinâmica entre o casal muda totalmente. A partir do episódio 8 era um plot diferente a cada episódio como se os escritores estivessem com dificuldade de preencher a história. Então, digo com facilidade que poderia sim ser uma série com, no máximo, 8-10 episódios.

Eu sempre avalio uma obra a partir de qual é o objetivo dela, e Hidden Agenda não foi feito pra ser um BL super díficil de entender, é um plot simples, com um casal principal fofo e um secundário que em minha opinião aparece pouco. Apenas queria que focassem um pouco mais nos debates, é algo bem diferente do que vemos em um BL universitário tailandês, e também queria mais da backstory da história de como o Joke se apaixonou e foi pedir ajuda ao Pat.

Sobre casais não tenho do que reclamar. Começando pelos nossos protagonistas, o Joke e o Zo são um casal com muita química e é impossivel não sorrir com as interações deles, mas o que eu mais gostava neles era que os dois sabiam que seus problemas tinham que ser resolvidos a partir do dialógo, claro que os dois já chegaram a errar mas ninguém é perfeito e tá tudo bem. Cabe dizer que é a primeira vez que vejo algo com os JoongDunk e a atuação deles é ok, apenas acho que o Dunk pode melhorar. As cenas de intimidade eu não tinha botado fé nenhuma, mas eles foram íncriveis.
Os secundários, Jeng e Pok também tem química, mesmo que me incomodou um pouco esse plot do Jeng conversar com uma menina mesmo sendo compromissado. Mereciam mais tempo de tela, mas os AouBoom foram muito bem.

Eu entendo perfeitamente quem deu uma nota baixa pra série, pois em alguns momentos eu até dormi porque estava um pouco tedioso. Mas se você não tem nada pra fazer e quer ver algo leve pra sorrir um pouco, é uma ótima indicação.

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Surpresa boa

Eu confesso que não comecei a assistir com muitas expectativas, mas terminei essa série com uma sensação gostosa de conforto. É importante falar da evolução do Dunk, pois a série anterior, que ele também fez par com o Joong, deixou a desejar tanto na atuação como na química, Agora, ele aparece mais maduro, talvez pela construção do personagem, que é diferente da outra série, e com atuação melhorada a química entre eles melhorou consideravelmente.

O plot é bem clichê na verdade, mas blzeiros vivem de clichês, não é mesmo?
O roteiro nada inovador, traz o personagem de Zo "apaixonado" por Nita, e o personagem Joke, amigo de Nita, promete ajudá-lo a conquistar a garota, com a condição de que ele consiga entrar no clube de debates (esse clube é novidade pra mim). Na verdade, Joke tem a intenção de aproveitar o tempo próximo a Zo para conquistá-lo, e ele consegue! Mais clichê impossível.

Gostei muito do casal secundário, gostei de não terem vilanizado a personagem Nita, ao contrário, humanizaram ela e mostraram uma amizade sincera entre homem e mulher. Não existiu nenhum drama mirabolante entre os casais, apenas aquela negação dos sentimentos que atormentou Zo após o primeiro beijo, e foi bonito ver o Joke entendendo isso e correndo atrás.

Minha crítica vai apenas para a questão familiar. A família de Zo, com sua alegria ou problemas estava sendo mostrada desde o início, mas sobre Joke, tivemos apenas a aparição rápida de sua avó (uma diva) e no último episódio é que vemos o real problema da família dele, a treta com o pai poderia ter sido explorada de forma mais inteligente.

A parte técnica também não deixa a desejar, não tenho críticas.

Com certeza recomendo essa série, e pretendo assisti-la várias vezes.

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Vou ali respirar e depois eu volto

Hidden Agenda tem sido uma experiência esquisita pra mim. Não é ruim, de verdade, mas tem me deixado com uma sensação constante de vazio. Sabe quando você assiste esperando sentir alguma coisa e nada vem? Pois é. A série tem uma proposta bonitinha, tem atores que eu gosto, produção ok… mas parece que nada encaixa de verdade.

Talvez o problema tenha sido ter vindo direto de The Heart Killers, que me pegou muito mais do que eu esperava. Lá eu vi o Dunk sendo super julgado pela atuação, mas sinceramente, eu achei que ele mandou bem, me convenceu, me envolveu, entregou. Já em Hidden Agenda, eu sinto que ele não consegue encontrar o tom. Parece que todas as falas saem na mesma entonação, sem peso, sem emoção. E o mais triste é que até o Joong, que geralmente tem tanta presença, aqui tá apagado. Como se os dois estivessem atuando em piloto automático, sem aquela faísca que costuma me prender.

A trilha sonora também não ajuda. Em cenas que deveriam emocionar, tudo continua morno. Parece que nada colabora pra criar clima. E aí a direção também não sabe muito bem pra onde levar as coisas, e a história vai se arrastando sem me fisgar. Eu assisto esperando que algo mude, que algum momento me toque… mas só vou sentindo um tédio estranho crescendo.

Tô escrevendo isso enquanto acompanho os episódios, então é tudo bem no calor do momento. Terminei o episódio 4 agora há pouco e, olha… aquela cena do Joke cantando e tocando violão pro Zo era pra ser super marcante, super íntima. E eu só consegui me sentir desconfortável. O beijo ali deveria ser o ápice, o momento que faz o coração acelerar. Mas parecia qualquer coisa. Fiquei ali olhando a tela e me perguntando onde foi parar a emoção. Não sei que magia fizeram pra tudo parecer tão vazio.

E aí fui pro episódio 5. No comecinho já caí em diálogos arrastados e situações tão forçadas que parecia que eu tava vendo aquele episódio há uma eternidade. Quando fui ver, só tinham passado 20 minutos. Desisti. Fechei tudo e fui dormir. Sim, 9 da noite. Eu, que passo noites em claro, dormi cedo porque Hidden Agenda foi tão sem graça que me apagou. Nunca pensei que um BL me faria isso.

Mas assim… eu também tô na TPM, estressada com trabalho, cabeça cheia. E talvez isso esteja mexendo com meu julgamento. Não seria justo eu bater o martelo agora, então decidi dar um tempo. Dropei por enquanto, mas pretendo voltar quando eu estiver com a cabeça mais leve, pra tentar ver com outros olhos. Às vezes é só o timing errado.

To aqui no trabalho agora matutando sobre isso, mas depois vou voltar pra assistir de novo e quando eu terminar, volto aqui pra dar meu veredito final. Porque mesmo que Hidden Agenda não esteja funcionando pra mim agora, eu ainda quero dar uma chance. Vai que, mais pra frente, tudo faz mais sentido.

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Vide mais mignonnet

Sincèrement pas très intéressant, juste mignonnet. Je trouve que GMMTV fournit à JoongDunk des séries quand même assez limitées, notamment niveau scénario (en clair, c'est vide). Cette série ressemble tellement à Star In My Mind, les personnages sont similaires, que ce soit pour Joong ou Dunk, le personnage de Joong lorgnant également du côté de Sarawat dans 2gether. Si je trouve que Dunk s'est amélioré, il est quand même le maillon faible du couple côté jeu. Peut-être qu'il n'est d'ailleurs pas possible de leur donner des séries plus ambitieuses comme pour ForceBook, JimmySea ou PondPhuwin.
Après avoir dit tout cela, leur alchimie est ce qui sauve cette série du naufrage et qui permet de donner un 7 (je suis quand même assez gentille dans ma notation) parce que c'est toujours adorable de voir JoongDunk ensemble. Je conseille d'ailleurs les BTS, qui sont presque plus affectueuses que le drama lui-même.
Un problème que j'ai eu par contre avec le couple JokeZo est cette impression de déséquilibre dans leur relation, que Joke est plus investi, plus amoureux. Les scénaristes et/ou réalisateur ont d'ailleurs rajouté des scènes insistant sur l'amour de Zo.
Le couple AouBoom et les rôles secondaires, pourtant donnés à des acteurs GMMTV solides et familiers, sont anecdotiques.

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