Hidden Agenda

Disappointed after all the wait!

I'm here for Joong Dunk, I really love their role in our Sky. I'm disappointed they end up in yet another typical school BL, like we've not had enough of this.

It's somehow really boring in 1st episode and somewhat frustrating as the focus seems to be on the girl (at least for now). I don't know, I just feel like its too complicated lol

I just want to watch Joong Dunk in a good role, good storyline and goood chemistry but I didn't get any of this in episode 1 , so Im dropping it.

I'd rather drop it and keep the good memory I've of this couple in Our Sky!

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joongdunk saved it

starting was good but ending was tooooooo rushed ....acting was good ....their visual chemistry ....those kiss scene ....saved the drama BUTT the plot was soo plain and poor ....we cant blame joongdunk but the writers ....joongdunk really deserve better projects ...worth watching but not rewatching

if u are a joongdunk fan u will love the chemistry ...yep u will get bored too
last ep was soo rushed ...its like the writers were forced to to make the last ep....the hidden agenda was soo hidden that i could n't find it
i will suggest not to keep high expectation while watching

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The agenda wasn't really hidden at all.

The plot and the pilot trailer got me hyped up, but in the end, it wasn't such a good experience at all. Let me explain.

I have been expecting this since the pilot trailer, and I think that the original plot was more intense, hot, and fun. I was already a little down when the official trailer showed up. What upsets me is that the "Hidden Agenda" was so mid. Not really hidden at all and the plot was all up the table so early in the episodes. It wasn't enjoyable. At least their development as a couple was... good? I'm not sure. However, I understood the choice to focus on their development as a couple and not focus on their dynamic. But it was just... boring.

What I liked, was the secondary couple. Jeng (Aou) and Pok (Boom) were incredible, even with a tiny screen time their fights and problems were so much deeper if you compare them to Joke and Zo. Their acting was amazing too. Well, Joong (Joke) and Zo (Dunk) were good too actually. And they got better since their last series (Star In My Mind), so it's good to see them improving.

And just a little observation: The OST was soooo good. And the photography was really cute too.

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Something happened, but idk what

I really wanted to love this show down bad. I just came from watching the first three episodes of The Heart Killers, and this would be my first JoongDunk BL ever after intensely watching their latest performance on said show. I'm absolutely in love with their chemistry, and it's no doubt it's there. But what in the duck was the plan? The agenda wasn't hidden, it was sitting on the coffee table with some donuts and booboo roses, there was no secret?Everything was highly predictable, and honestly so much could've happened instead nothing did. I wish the thing with Nita would've hit a little differently. Maybe Nita is still in love with Joke and kinda competes with Zo, maybe she does like Zo back but Zo realizes he doesn't actually like her and messes with Joke. Idk it could've gone so many ways but it barely stepped out the house. I definitely hope for some more JoongDunk series' because this just ain't the one that's doing it for me, y'all.

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A re-do of Fish Upon the Sky without all the things that made it funny and amusing

At least FUTS was able to get a few giggles out of me (and the fact that it's somewhat self-aware of how ass its plot and writing actually is helps it immensely with comedic time).

I strongly dislike series with "white knight" love interests like Joke because they always give way more than their partners ever give back. Always makes the relationship feel extremely one-sided.

This series feels ANCIENT. It's so old-school i was actually shocked when i found out it was released in mid-2023.

If you came here from The Heart Killers, don't bother. Just wait for "Dare You to Death" next year. Seeing them in THK made me feel like this next series of theirs have immense potential.

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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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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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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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The story is so confusing

Actually the first episodes like from 1 to 6 or 5 it was actually good like the plot is there and overall, but later on when they resolved the main problem or conflict of the show it just keep adding on another new conflict and will be resolved in just one FREAKING EPISODE, like in the stalker part I was hoping it would last like 2 episodes but NO, it just resolved quickly like where's the tense like we should be able to feel the fear of the stalker character so that when he caught like we would cheering, but NO girl it was hilarious he was so dumb at that moment, plot wasted, another one, I'm on episode 9 actually and there is still 10 to 12 and girl I don't think I'm gonna continue to watch it anymore, the conflict of Zo in this episode is so low like you discover your best friend being a cupid and setting you to the boy who likes you and you get mad and telling their relationship started with a lie??? LIKE GIRL HE JUST HELP YOU TO HAVE LOVELIFE and also made you realized that NITA is not the one for you, like you should be thankful. Don't get me started in acting, I love joongdunk like fr but bro they need to show more emotions and body language like they look stiff and their emotions are not really showing. Also some parts are pretty predictable. Overall, if you want some confusion and not sticking to the plot, go watch this, cause I DON'T KNOW how this will end, take my review as a grain of salt so If you really love joongdunk go watch it they're really cute in this show

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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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