We should stick with JoongDunk's YouTube compilations at this point...
Can we stop with these plots that starts with one of the leads pursuing a girl that he has NO connection with? Like, is so overused and boring, it doesn't add ANYTHING useful and interesting to the characters depths and story. But even with that, the beginning was the most interesting and fun part with Joke pursing Zo. Most parts were skippable, and the show was too long for what they had.The acting was not terrible but not good enough to save it. I could see Dunk falling behind sometimes and losing some opportunities when it comes to showcasing Zo's emotions, and Joong was actually fine and had some really beautiful moments. Aou and Boom didn't have many interesting moments, but I really enjoyed this pairing, and I actually wanted to see more of them. Between other support characters, Nita (Jamie) and Pat (Louis) had more impact in the story, and I was particularly happy seeing Jamie in a completely different role right after Home School.
So that's it, if you want to watch just for JoongDunk, as I said in the headline, you should stick with the YouTube compilations, they are far more entertaining.
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly Not Bad, Just Not Good Enough to Finish
From the get-go, I knew that this concept could be told in about 8 episodes, and low and behold, it was happily ever after by the end of episode 8. So because I was already only getting by by the skin of my teeth, I've decided that episode 8 is where this shall end for me.Let's Dive In.
I immediately knew where this was headed as Joong and Dunk being the leads -- Boring Boulevard. Needless to say, I fell asleep through episodes 1-4 and had to keep going back to see what the hell had gone on, only to have missed absolutely nothing but a bunch of talking and talking and talking. Yes, the plot is simple, but gosh darn it something about this was so freaking aggravatingly dull that I just couldn't do it. The only reason I didn't drop this by episode 4 is because there is one thing that these boys do great at and that's affection. So am I shallow for staying for the physicality and skipping through the rest? Maybe. But oh well.
Joong and Dunk's chemistry (outside of being physical) isn't bad persay -- but there's just something missing. I can't quite put my tongue on it, but for whatever reason, it's so hard for me to believe their chemistry even though it doesn't look necessarily bad on camera. I've said it before and I'll say it here too, I want Joong to be given another on-screen partner. Dunk is great but he just doesn't sell it for me. However, again, 10/10 in everything physical. I mean some really good kissing.
The side couple was cute, and they also weren't so bad at kissing, but they didn't do enough for me.
Some nit-picking, but because it's GMMTV, I expect better: so so SO many continuity errors that I almost gauged my eyes out. Some glaring ones were hand placements not being the same, and the ceramic that was supposed to be broken just so happened to not be broken seconds before. This is what also adds to the cheap feeling of the show cause it's obvious that it was rushed and wasn't given much thought to detail. It was so lazy for a company like GMMTV to produce crap like this that it's genuinely upsetting.
And like I said, it's happily ever after at the end of episode 8, so looking at the preview I just knew I was fine with not finishing the rest as I know it's nothing but added-on nonsense so they could fill their 12-episode agenda.
Ratings:
Story: 4/10 - Yes the plot is simplistic, but that's no reason for a terrible script. Bunch of nothingness until they do cliches and some kissing -- then I like it. Production value also brings the score down for it's terrible lack of detail.
Acting: 8/10 - Both have never been given a very strong plot to really show off their acting abilities, so this is as best as I've always seen them do. I really could care less for this couple, but if they're paired again I hope they're given a heavier plot in terms of story.
music 5/10: Joong sang too much so, yeah.
Recommendation Value: 3/10 - Honestly, this series isn't bad so I'm not giving it a low score cause it's terrible, I'm just giving it a low score because out of all the BLs going on right now, this is the least entertaining one to watch. But this might be a good one to watch for someone's first BL so, a 3/10 it is.
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It's not a 10 but...
Well for sure it isn't a 10 rated BL series, but it's not a 3. Truth being that for me, as long as Joong smiles a few times an episode I'm satisfied! Also if he raises his eyebrows' and goes shirtless once an episode that really can forgive a lot of script weakness.Yes the "Hidden Agenda" was not hidden for very long nor was it hidden very well at all. Therefore, this is for sure a "B" BL series...similar to B Movie. All the other stuff was acceptable, music was kind of generic for me. (yeah minus Joong singing.) Story was generic. School stuff Generic. Family was uneventful.
Joong was a good cast for Joke but I can't say the same for Dunk as Zo. I'll leave it at that. NIta and the Grandmother were good female characters.
My only other cast issues is what happened to Pat? Pok and Jeng are fine but Louis as Pat is the next most interesting actor in the entire series. It's like he fell off of the screen. (Did I forget something)
The Finale could have had a more secondary character involvement and I didn't really get Zo or the the fathers moment of realization: "oh I'm being a wanker and I should stop!" Not done well at all!
Yes it's watchable and yes it had some good entertaining spots, but yes it's time for Joong and DunK to grow up. No more school series for them please!
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Good acting but boring storyline...
The only feeling I had throughout was that the series had been wrongly named. I expected different with such a strong name... Comparatively I really enjoyed Only Friends, which has been made at the same time...It felt too dragged at some places...
I have no complaints regarding the acting. The cast has really acted well... It really feels like they have adopted the characters into themselves.
But the storyline seems too straight...
Or it might be that watching other dramas with likable content has set my bars high...
But don't give this review too much importance... Watch it and decide for yourself... Mightbe you enjoy it...
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A typical romcom with secret crush
I found this cz i was looking for something similar to "star in my mind" and when I watched it probably cz the leads were the same it felt like i was watching the same. So i put it on hold it after a while it gave the same vibes.I'm back again now i feel it's not that bad. It's a sweet romcom. Just don't watch this if you've been watching fluff for a while. This is something you'd like as a stress buster. I'm watching it along with "goddess bless u from death" so it helps me balance out my emotions on one side i have this calm and sweet romcom and other is horror🤭
At one point it's just them going on dates for multiple episodes... there's pretty much nothing going on. This should have been an 8 episode drama instead of 12
I'd just say if u watch it as a stress buster u would like it if not you'll get bored. I'm dropping it. Tried 3 times but i just couldn't watch all the fluff with little to no plot.
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It's over for me!!!!
I don't think I'll watch this series until the end. I finished the episode 3 weeks ago and can't bring myself to continue. I need to tell this "I'm sorry, but it's boring".When I saw the trailer, I was so excited, because it promised a lot. But the story isn't good for me. I expected things to happen differently. Joke even trying to help Zo with Nita and their feelings developing along the way. I would have liked to see Zo trying to win Nita over, not fall for Joke so quickly.
I like a soft love story with no big drama, but let's be serious, this isn't "My School President".
I like Dunk and Joong, but I don't see the chemistry between them. I didn't see it in their preview series "Star and Sky" either. I always get the feeling that Dunk can't get emotionally involved, that he can't convey the feelings to us, the viewers. When I see Zo, I see Dunk. They have the same behavior towards Joong/Joke.
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What was the point of this?
Seriously, what was the point of this? It had no direction and felt like it had no clue what it was trying to accomplish. There were some interesting threads that could have massively improved the story had they been focused on properly, but instead every couple of episodes had a new flimsy story arc.It doesn't help that the two leads have the weakest acting in the whole series. Dunk's weak acting has been talked to death, but in my opinion his main issue is how stilted his performance feels - he needs to work on making it feel more natural. Joong is definitely better, but still nothing to write home about - whilst he is more of a natural, he needs to work on his range and bring more depth.
Aou and Boom are of course the shining light in this show, and not in it nearly enough. Their chemistry is so natural and they are very sweet together. The issues they faced in their relationship were quite moving, especially Boom's performance, but it was undercut by a half baked story arc.
Overall, I would say it's a pretty mindless watch - only bother putting this on if you want an easy show that you can half pay attention to.
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Hidden agenda or hidden PLOT?
This was definitely a snoozefest.In 12 episodes I can barely remember anything that happened. Every week a new episode came out I had already forgotten the last one.
Zo is not a likeable character. At any point. Also no matter what happens; big, small, happy, or sad, Dunk's acting stays the exact same. 😭
Zo could manage to give the dead whiplash with all the back and forth he put Joke through. Joong was good, I adore him, but even he couldn't save this show. He needs a script that will showcase his talent and a partner who can show emotions and give chemistry.
I'd recommend this if you want something kinda low key, medium angst?
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This review may contain spoilers
Your Expectations Are Accurate
I'm one of the few people that isn't tired of university dramas. I know that we've seen similar love dynamics thousands of times, that we can predict every single move these boys will make. I'm okay with that because just because it plays into common tropes doesn't necessarily mean it'll be bad. What determines quality is how the show executes those tropes.Unfortunately, Hidden Agenda doesn't do anything revolutionary, and having seen so many GMMTV shows, I don't know why I expected any different.
My main issue with Hidden Agenda, and many other BLs in general, is that the plot is nonexistent. Even if a show has so much potential, the writers complete the entire plot in the first three or four episodes and then drag out the characters actually getting together for far too long. It's fine to have scenes where characters are being lovey-dovey for the safe of being lovey-dovey, but that can't drive a plot.
And it seemed like the writers understood that because then they started throwing plot points at the show hoping one would stick -- an evil ex-friend, a stalker, disappointed parents, a debate competition! But all of those would be resolved fairly anticlimactically in an episode and a half each plot point. So what was the point? To show that their love can withstand all? I'm not really believing it.
There was a surprising amount of depth and complexity to Jeng and Pok's relationship - hiding their relationship when one clearly longs to be public. It was actually so much more interesting than Joke and Zo's plot, and because the writers were taking their time in building out their exposition, I had hope that Jeng and Pok's relationship would be the redeeming factor of the show.
But of course, like all plots in Hidden Agenda, it was completed too soon, too hastily that I was left to wonder if I was imagining the potential their story had.
And then in the last three episodes, the show decided to finally show its worth with an actually substantive plot. Zo is stressing over the upcoming debate competition as he believes it's his one opportunity to make his mom proud, and we find out in the last episode that Joke is the black sheep of the family and he struggles with gaining their acceptance. The latter is criminally underdeveloped and cobbled together and concluded in just two scenes, and sadly this is where we see the best performance by Joong. Despite horrifically awkward writing where we get whiplash by the grandpa who in basically less than five minutes both cuts Joke down a few notches by practically calling him a degenerate in front of the whole family AND THEN asks Joke for a hug and tells him he's proud of him, Joong manages to move my heart with his tears.
I knew going into this show, I probably would be disappointed. And I was, but not nearly as much as other shows, and in fact, it almost became fun since I was hate-writing pages full of notes. You get what you expect and nothing more. I need to stop expecting GMMTV to blow me away with an underrated gem because that hasn't happened in a long, long time.
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It’s not just about love - it’s about unspoken feelings and the things never said out loud.
Hidden Agenda is soft on the surface but emotionally layered underneath - the kind of series that slowly pulls you in with awkward interactions, unspoken feelings, and tension that builds in the quietest ways.At the center is Zo, who starts off as someone a bit socially clumsy and unsure of himself, especially when it comes to relationships. He’s not the type who naturally knows how to express feelings or navigate romantic situations, which makes his journey feel really relatable. A lot of his story is about learning confidence - not just in love, but in how he sees himself and how he chooses to approach people. He overthinks a lot, hesitates often, and that makes his emotional growth feel very natural.
Then there’s Nita, who is confident, direct, and very aware of what she wants. At first, she feels a bit out of Zo’s emotional “range” - like she’s more experienced and sure of herself compared to him. But instead of that creating distance, it actually pushes Zo to confront his own feelings more honestly. Their connection isn’t loud or overly dramatic; it grows through small conversations, misunderstandings, and moments where they both slowly start to open up.
But the real emotional weight of the series comes from Joke, who is charismatic, playful, and clearly hiding a lot more emotion than he shows. He starts off as someone who looks carefree and easygoing, but as the story develops, you realize there’s a deeper layer of vulnerability underneath that confidence. His relationship with Zo is full of tension - not always in an obvious romantic way, but in the way they affect each other’s emotions and decisions without fully understanding it themselves.
The dynamic between Zo, Nita, and Joke creates a triangle filled with confusion, jealousy, and emotional hesitation. No one fully says what they feel right away, and a lot of the story is built on what is not being said. That’s what makes it interesting — every glance, pause, or change in tone carries meaning.
What really stands out in Hidden Agenda is how it focuses on internal conflict. The characters aren’t just dealing with relationships - they’re dealing with their own uncertainty, fear of rejection, and difficulty expressing emotions clearly.
Overall, Hidden Agenda is soft, slightly chaotic emotionally, and full of slow-burn tension. If you love love triangles, misunderstood feelings, and stories where emotions build quietly until they suddenly matter a lot more than expected — this is the kind of series that stays in your head.
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This review may contain spoilers
The agenda should have stayed hidden
This show was a hard watch, but I would do it all over again for JoongDunk. Yeah. This took me no joke (see what I did there) 2 years to finish. The main thing is that it is boring. So very boring. I would give it an 8.5 out of 10. I am going to say what I liked, what I didn't, and then an episode overview, so yeah.I think this show had a great message and good potential. I will give them that. Great fucking potential and could have been greatness, I swear to god. It was fun, and they were free. And that is about it, lmao. Joong and Dunk delivered with their chemistry as normal and had some good kisses and good NC scenes in this. Sadly, it wasn't enough to save the show, I fear. I liked the background characters; they were fun. I actually think the character writing was good in this; it really was (besides the side couple in some parts, that was getting on my nerves). I liked the speech and debate part. I think it's because I did it from 3rd grade all the way to my senior year of high school, but I did enjoy that part. I miss speech and debate so much I can't even lie lmao. I thought the plot with Nita was fun. I don't know why I really liked it. It added to the plot and made it more interesting. Joong and Dunk looked great in this, ESPECIALLY DUNK OH MY LORD HE LOOKS SO GOOD. Might rewatch with one hand just for dunk and his gorgeous ass. I think the premise of this show was great, and so is the dynamic; it was just executed pretty poorly. I can't.
Incredibly forgettable show, I dont even remember it lmao. This is a slow burn done wrong. If you know me and my reviews, you know I hate slow burn and shity romance building, and this was no different. I have the attention span of a little kid, so slow burns aren't really my thing, but if done right, they can still be good. This was not done right. The whole show was very slow, and that made it incredibly boring, oh my lord. This took me dropping and starting like 3 times before I finally finished it, and it was a hard watch every damm time. We did a lot of sitting around holding our fucking balls in this show. Like nothing was happening for full episodes for both our couples (I would be lying if I said I remembered there was a side couple in this, I still didn't like them though, according to my episode reviews). Like that is the point of side coulpes to be there when the main characters are doing anything. But nope. Joke's posseiveness was cock blocking the entire show, I can't even lie to you. Oh my god, it wasn't even cute or fun, it was annoying as fuck. Another thing is, at the end, like the final episode, they were just having fake fucking problems to drag the show out, oh my lord, let's finish this. Okay, that is it.
Okay, overview. "I love Joong and Dunk so much. They are so fucking cute. This can actually be so good, it has a lot of potential, and I’m pretty excited, actually." I was watching this while it was airing, good for me. "Why am I not winning nationals with Joong Archen as my boyfriend? Is that too much to ask for? No, I dont think so. Manifesting this energy for this year's speech and debate." Sadly, I did not win nationals, and Joong Arch is still not my boyfriend; it's a sad day. "This episode proved me very wrong, and they are slow burn but fast at the same time, and I need this." I was then shot 57 times. "Hopefully, they come to terms with their feelings pretty fast. I miss them. I loved Star in my mind so fucking much. Love them forever." Would give my life for Joong Dunk. "The plot was moving, but nothing happened at the same time. It was getting on my nerves, but what can you do? They could have more potential with these, and if you aren't going to build on the main characters, at least build on the random side couples and the other ones. I think that would be fun." "The final episode airs tomorrow, so I am trying to get all of these done today so I can finish the show on time. But knowing me, it's probably not going to happen, but I love them." It didn't happen; it took chloe another 2 years to finish this. " The cuddling was just so fucking cute. I am glad Zo came clean with Nita because that was definitely going to cause some problems. I am glad they are trying to take things slow, and Joke is backing off to give his man some space. Joke's Possiveness is going to come bite them in the ass because he was already pulling that shit in this episode. Hopefully, we get more of the stalker because I love Nita and jokes about friendship. I just think it is interesting and adds to the plot." "I am ending the cycle, and I am gonna try to finish this lol." I lied again; it took me another year. "Someone said that if you dont like this, you dont get the concept, and I always get the concept, so we are back even if I think this is boring." "I am giving this show one last chance. I have tried to finish it three times now, and every single time I failed. This is the final time, let’s hit it to the bitch. I am a teenager. I understand these shitty shows. I get them all, but this show is flat-out boring. It’s so unfathomably boring, and I love joongdunk to the ends of the motherfucking earth. I will ride that ship till it explodes and incinerates into straight ash, but this show is so boring. Predictable ass show I fear. Ngl idk what he did bc it's been so long, but whatever he did it's his fault for sure. Also, Dunk looks beyond good in this. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore." "Oh, that sucks, oh that fucking sucks. Because you have to be happy for her when you know it's hard. Too real, that's wrap it up. I think that the message behind this show is fantastic, it's just the slow burn aspect with their dynamic as well as the plot, but stick with this shit. Too real, I fear. Way too real. IT'S NOT A PARTY UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SHOT. I knew it. I was trying to finish this in class, but it didnt work out." "Why are we having fake problems rn?"
Yeah, I think it has a good premise and good chemistry, just really poor execution that made this so fuckinf boring. But watch it if you want. Okay bye!
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Not the best, not the worst
Unlike it’s title Hidden Agenda is pretty fluffy. Hardly any angst. If you’re looking for an easy watch that doesn’t take a lot of brain power this is the one. Joong’s acting is stiff and Dunk’s acting is awkward, especially when he has to act frustrated. Thing is when Joong and Dunk are together they’re pretty good. Probably because they’re comfortable with each other.I would say my only problem with the writing is the little angst they do have feels like the writers were stretching it. I thought no one would actually get this upset over something like that. If you’re looking for a fluffy and easy watch then try it out. Don’t look for an interesting story with this one.
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