My Golden Blood

Nothing Awful, Just Nothing New

This was an interesting watch...not bad, not good, but definitely leaning more toward the “not great” side. I’ll give credit where it’s due though: making a solid vampire story is tricky. Fantasy creatures like vampires are hard to pull off without a strong budget or solid effects, and this series struggled a bit there. The yellow eyes and vampire teeth didn’t really work for me. The eyes especially, they just looked fake, and honestly, they weren’t even necessary when the fangs were already doing the job. To be fair, the teeth themselves were surprisingly decent. They actually matched the actors’ real teeth, which is rare since fake ones usually look way too white. But they did have this habit of constantly showing them off mid-scene, like, yes, I know you’re a vampire, you don’t have to prove it every five seconds. The flying scenes were also pretty rough, and that ending, with the trip to the Eiffel Tower and the park, looked painfully green-screened. It’s a shame, because it feels like the show had enough budget to polish those little details, but they just didn’t. That said, I really liked the music. The opening song was amazing, and the sets had a nice vintage, vampire aesthetic that gave things a bit of magic. Plot-wise, it wasn’t the strongest. It was predictable, I mean, of course Tong was going to become a vampire. That’s basically the blueprint for human x vampire stories. But I’ll give them this: the main twist actually caught me off guard, and I didn’t see it coming (maybe that’s on me, but still). Some of the deaths felt unnecessary though, like they were just added for shock value. The pacing could’ve been better too, it wasn't super rushed, but fast enough that it lost some emotional weight. The chemistry between the leads was hit or miss. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, and I think a lot of that came down to Joss. His emotional delivery just didn’t always land; it felt like the feelings were there but never fully connected. Like when you’ve been charging your phone for an hour and realize the charger wasn’t plugged in, that’s kind of how the chemistry felt. Overall, My Golden Blood was fine. Mediocre, sure, but not unbearable. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it, but I’m still curious to see what other upcoming vampire BLs will do with the concept, hopefully with a bit more bite.

Rating: 7.5/10

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My Golden Blood: A Sparkly Mess of Vampire Fluff

I dove into it with high hopes, lured by the promise of a dark, sultry queer romance. What I got instead was a 12-episode rollercoaster of eye-candy chemistry, cringe-worthy dialogues, and a plot that felt like it was pieced together by a drunk GPS. This series had me hooked enough to finish it, but not without a lot of 2x speed sessions and exasperated sighs.

The story revolves around Tong, a college freshman with mythical “Golden Blood” that makes vampires go feral, and Mark, his brooding vampire protector who’s inexplicably shirtless in half the scenes. The premise sounded like Twilight with a gay twist, but it quickly devolved into a predictable, low-stakes romance sprinkled with vampire clichés that felt more like an afterthought than a core theme. The plot had potential like it's got vampires, forbidden love, a shady vampiric order but it stumbled over itself with filler episodes, lazy twists, and a finale that tied things up too neatly, like a gift nobody asked for. I waited over a year for this series after its announcement, and let’s just say my expectations were staked through the heart.

The acting, though, was a mixed bag. Joss Way-ar as Mark and Gawin Caskey as Tong are undeniably gorgeous, and their chemistry is electric. Every glance and touch felt like it could set the screen on fire. Their romantic moments, especially the steamy NC scenes, are the series’ saving grace, making even the cheesiest lines bearable. Gawin’s performance as Tong, however, felt off at times; his exaggerated expressions were cute initially but grew grating, like he was trying too hard to embody a quirky teen. Joss, on the other hand, nailed the brooding vampire vibe, though I suspect his abs did half the acting. The supporting cast, like Nakan and Thara, ranged from mildly annoying to stylishly tolerable, but none left a lasting impression. Tonkla’s death, meant to be emotional, barely registered because the writing didn’t give me a reason to care.

The music was a highlight, with Gawin’s intro OST catching my ear early on and the full soundtrack became a personal obsession by episode six. Those sweet boyfriend moments, backed by the OST, were like candy, addictive, even if the rest of the meal was bland. Conversely, the CGI was a disaster. From reptile-like vampire eyes to laughably bad green-screen sequences, it screamed low budget. I’m no VFX snob, but when a climactic fight looks like it was filmed in a community theater, it’s hard to stay immersed. The cinematography had moments of brilliance, especially in intimate scenes, but the overall production felt like GMMTV cut corners and hoped the leads’ faces would distract me.

As for rewatch value, I wouldn’t touch this series again with a ten-foot stake. It’s a one-time watch, good for killing time when you need a break from real life, but it left no lasting impression. The vampire lore was tacky, the humor fell flat, and the pacing dragged worse than a vampire in daylight. Episodes four and nine were particularly sluggish, and I only powered through because of my completionist streak and those sexually suggestive thumbnails. The final episode’s attempt at a romantic, Edward-and-Bella-esque resolution, where Tong becomes a vampire for their “happy” ending, felt recycled and uninspired. I’m not saying I wanted a bloodbath, but maybe something less predictable than “vampire boyfriend saves the day” would’ve been nice.

Overall, My Golden Blood is a guilty pleasure saved by its leads’ chemistry and a decent soundtrack, but it’s bogged down by a messy plot, weak dialogue, and vampires so tame they might as well be drinking tomato juice, which Mark already does. I’d recommend it if you’ve got time to burn and a soft spot for pretty faces, but don’t expect a masterpiece. I’m cautiously optimistic for Joss and Gawin’s next project, Only Friends Season 2, but I’m praying they pick a script that matches their chemistry. Otherwise, I’ll be back on 2x speed, muttering about wasted potential.

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Middle of the road

I love the Joss/Gawin pairing and I felt like they worked together really well.

I felt like Joss really did amazing for what he was given. His expressions and emotions were fantastic. On the other end of this, sometimes Gawin's performance seemed to pale in comparison / his character came across a little flat.

Major issues I had with this series overall was the noticeably BAD audio. At times it felt like it was recorded on a phone stuffed in a pocket. For me, this is pretty much unacceptable at this point in time. This is from GMMtv, not some mom and pop production. Also, the effects were not great. I would have rather they didn't add them because they felt cheaply done and were distracting enough that it took you out of the story.

Also the finale felt a little too glazed over for me.

This had a lot of promise, but it almost sucked the life out of me to finish it.

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This Show Is Terrible In Every Shape & Form

So, who wrote this show? Cause your writing and scripts are trash, and you need to never write a BL again. Nothing about this show's plot and lore makes sense, you can't even turn your brain off to watch this, cause nothing here is good enough to warrant that. Any questions I had about this show have either gone unanswered, or were vaguely answered: Where does the Golden Blood come from? Why isn't it golden? What are the vampires' abilities? Do all vampires have special gifts like Thara, Mark, and Nakan? What exactly does the Golden Blood do? Does it enhance a vampire's abilities, or does it slowly turn them human?

Also, the way that this show simply did not want to acknowledge its plot and instead made its unbelievable romance arc the main focus, but JossGawin's unbelievable chemistry did not help sell or even make the romantic scenes watchable or enjoyable.

This was one of the worst BLs I could have watched this year.

The acting? Bad from everyone across the board
- Gawin can't give more than grumpy, confused, and stupid in any scene he's in. I haven't seen any of his older stuff, so idk if he can do better than this, but god, none of his more emotional & serious scenes held any weight to them.
- Joss simply gave angry, stupid, and looked like he was high in every scene, and idk if that was because of his eyebrows or simply because Joss is that bad of an actor, but fix it and do better or go be an underwear model cause they tried to distract us from his bad acting with him being shirtless or flexing in every other scene.
- Mond didn't even try to give a good performance, but idek if he could give one before this, cause he was pretty meh in Only Friends too.
- The lady who plays Thara is one of the most emotionless actresses I have ever come across; it was like she was simply reading her lines each and every time. Because of her bad acting, the "big twist" of her being the actual main antagonist was both predictable and boring.
- Neo did not need to be in this show, even though he was not in it for that long; you could take him out, and nothing would change. His death? Meaningless, considering it is only acknowledged two times after it happens, and Gawin couldn't even deliver a good performance to make you believe that he was grieving his death. His entire character was nothing, and the only thing that intrigued me was a potential dark romance between him and Nakan... which they didn't do.

This show felt like a poor attempt at promoting Gawin's music career with the bland OST and that forced scene where it came on in that car scene.

Sooo all in all, go ahead and wrap up JossGawin and this show because they and this show sucked in every aspect. I have no faith in whatever they are going to bring in, Only Friends 2.

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A complete failure

Everything was there for a good series: an original idea (vampires, golden blood), well-known actors, and a big budget (I guess?). Unfortunately, nothing works. What happened?

The love story completely takes over the vampire/fantasy plot — sadly, a classic issue with Thai BLs, especially those from this channel. On top of that, the romance is portrayed in a heavy-handed and cliché way: endless gazing into each other's eyes, constant soul-searching about love and destiny, dramatic love declarations over soft music…

The acting is poor, which is surprising coming from these actors — they’ve done much better in the past.

The special effects are soooo cheap, you really wonder where the money went.

The story lacks creativity. There’s no reason why the secrets revealed at the end of the series couldn’t have been shared right from the start — the only explanation is that without them, there wouldn’t have been a story at all. That just shows how thin the plot really is.

The final episode crams all these flaws together, wrapped in plot shortcuts and inconsistencies, to the point where it becomes laughable.

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Missed golden opportunity

Let’s start with the obvious: vampires – powerful, often immortal, carnal creatures that need to consume blood to survive – are among the sexiest beasts invented by our imagination. Representing a multitude of things considered forbidden and often evil, like unrestrained lust, following animal and predatory instincts, hunting, pursuing and killing prey, evading death etc., vampires are a projection not just of the darker (or even darkest) aspects of human nature, but also of a desire to be truly free, to do whatever we want, with no boundaries nor restrictions. So, in theory, a love story about gay vampires should be awesome, right? Well, in theory – yes. In practice, however, it can turn like MGB did: not so awesome.

The good stuff
There’s plenty of things in this show that I liked a lot – mostly the interactions of Mark and Tong, especially once they became an item. Fortunately that makes up a big portion of the series – it is a BL after all (no, it’s not a show about vampires – that’s just a pretext to tell a love story). Joss and Fluke work well together and their chemistry is MGB’s saving grace (that and Joss displaying his flawless physique). Another thing I enjoyed: the OST, consisting of “Closer” by Fluke (heard during opening credits), “Just You” by Joss and “Ever After” by Joss and Fluke. Pretty modest by GMMTV’s standards – and that’s also okay.

Writing
The show’s script is based on two intertwining storylines: Mark’s and Tong’s love story and the golden blood vampire story.
The love story is a variation of a well-known trope of a protector becoming a romantic interest/partner of the person he’s protecting. Inserting a vampire into that pattern doesn’t change a lot – after initial problems Mark becomes a rather traditional bodyguard-turned-lover character. Here’s where the vampire aspect of the show fails the most: once he overcomes his lust for Tong’s golden blood, Mark becomes so mundane that it’s easy to forget he’s a vampire. This is not an isolated case: all vampires in MGB seem weirdly bland, tamed and controlled, turning violent only on the rare occasion of coming into contact with Tong’s blood. Those are not the sexy vampires I imagined that would fit a daring gay love story, passionate, spicy and full of lust – this is a golden opportunity which was missed (or maybe deliberately abandoned). These vampires have been washed and bleached, deprived of feelings and senses – and became boring. Vampirism in MGB is like a curse: an eternal life of feeling nothing. Sure, this image is inconsistent (Thara has a genuine lust for power, Nakan seems to have some emotions and desires, Wan gets all teary in ep. 12 etc.), but heavily influences how Mark is presented and the love story progresses: it’s not taming of a wild beast lusting after Tong – it’s waking up a man’s sex drive and getting it to hum (instead of roar).
Another issue I have with the love story is its length – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough of the story for all 12 episodes. This leads to inclusion of filler elements; some (like most of ep. 4) are dull and unnecessary. This also gives room for subplots, chief among them the Tonkla subplot – which seemed to be important to the writers until they killed off Tonkla in ep. 9. Did it have a lasting impact on the story or characters? Not really.
The second main plotline – the vampire story – is messy, vague and inconsistent. Since MGB is not a show about vampires and this plotline is only meant to provide setting and obstacles for the love story, I’m not bothered by the aforementioned flaws; this is less important than the portrayal of vampires themselves, which I complained about above.

Characters
Both Mark and Tong are written in a proper manner (contrary to some opinions I read on MDL, I didn’t find Tong’s character to be annoying or subpar), fitting the love story plotline. Thara – as a villain – is a bit generic, but passable; revealing her as the main baddy of the show was foreshadowed in ep. 10 by some ominous music, which actually made me laugh. Tonkla is irritating and generally useless; I begin to understand why some comments express regret that Tonkla wasn't paired with Nakan – at least that would give Tonkla something to do in the show. Nakan seemed plausible as a villain, but then ep. 11 and 12 happened. I’m unsure whether that was plain old bad writing or an attempted redemption arc; whatever it was – it didn’t work for me. That character had potential, clearly, but it was wasted – mainly because it wasn’t developed properly. Seeing pictures of Tonkla and Nakan displayed next to each other with flowers in front of them (ep. 12), as for some cherished fallen comrades or good friends, left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Acting
As much as I enjoyed the Mark-Tong dynamic I have to point out that Joss gave a flawed performance in MGB. It’s something I noticed in ep. 1 and what did not change until the very end of the series: Joss was good at being hot&sexy, cool, manly, funny, caring or vulnerable – basically in almost every scene Mark interacted with Tong; the opposite happened when Mark needed to be serious, angry and “mature” – Joss kept missing the beat, becoming (unintentionally) funny: becoming lifeless and stiff or reciting his lines in a weird, solemn manner (as to underline that what he says is important). Fluke’s performance was much more consistent and without major flaws; same can be said about Um’s performance as Thara. Mond, whom I learned to respect a bit after “Only Friends” (while disliking the show itself and most performances in it), is all over the place here; much of that is due to the writing, but some has to attributed to the performer. Mond seemed sleepy, stoned or bored for much of ep. 1-10 and his face looked swollen – all of which made me think he was having some health issues while MGB was filmed. Fortunately this was no longer the case in ep. 11-12.

Visuals
Much was said about CGI in MGB – and how it (supposedly) was indicative of a low budget. While I wasn’t bothered by the use of special effects nor their quality, I do believe that – with writing adjusted in this regard and consistent use of more traditional means, like filming after sunset, proper lighting, filters and color grading, MGB could have created a better, convincingly “vampiric” atmosphere. Same about locations: while I applaud some choices in this regard (in particular Wan’s flower shop), others were baffling. Speaking of which: what’s with the wedding venues used by BLs recently? First “The Next Prince” located the interiors of the Emmalian royal palace in “La Chapelle”, a “unique luxury venue for weddings” in Bangkok, and now MGB used what seemed like two wedding venues (or just two areas within one venue) in ep. 12.

Final thoughts
Is MGB bad? No, it’s above average – mainly because most of its flaws have nothing to do with the love story while Joss and Fluke work so good together that they sell that story. My biggest issue with MGB is that it could have been much more – given its potential; instead it’s a half-hearted bite: you felt it, but it’s painless.

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So wattpad coded I can’t believe my eyes

Vampire BL with tsundere male lead? Yeah, sign me up right now.

Joss is not my first choice to play a vampire (Jeff Satur, anyone?) because I hardly think of vampires as tanned, muscly dudes but okay I’m not complaining. Joss is sooo fiiiiiine. He makes Gawin look small next to him. Their chemistry and tension is better than expected and they’re really quite cute.

But storyline-wise, My Golden Blood doesn’t do so well. It can only be described as the Wattpad-iest BL to hit our shores.

Vampire-themed BLs are few and far between and I was really looking forward to this one. The key conflict in the series is the civil war amongst the vampires, which made for a promising plot. 

But unfortunately, the conflict was one-dimensional and the plot came off as overly manufactured and silly. The storyline just didn’t have enough for us to take this seriously.

Verdict: Somewhat disappointing

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Review: “My Golden Blood” (2025) – A Beautiful Mess with a Golden Heart

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (8 / 10)
Rating: 8/10 overall
Music: 10/10
Rewatch Value: 7.5/10
Story: 7/10
Casting: 7/10

When I first heard that Joss Wayar was going to star in a BL series, I was literally shook. I never saw it coming! Joss has always been that actor with an incredible range, but to see him dive into the BL world was both surprising and exciting. And not only that—pairing him with Gawin Caskey? The undisputed King of OSTs? That alone already made “My Golden Blood” a must-watch for me.

The Music: A Standout Masterpiece (10/10)
Let me start with the music because—WOW. As expected, Gawin Caskey delivered big time. The OSTs in this series were on another level—English OSTs in a Thai BL series. Every scene with magical, romantic, or emotional weight hit even harder because of the background music. Romantic moments, action scenes, and even the quiet ones were elevated because of the sound design and score. Definitely a highlight and something I’d listen to outside the series.

The Story: Potential, But Rushed (7/10)
Now here’s where the series falls a little short: the story. Don’t get me wrong—it had so much potential. The concept of “Golden Blood” as a life-saving element mixed with a romantic BL plot was a genius idea, but the execution felt... rushed. The pacing seemed off, like they were trying to cram too much into too little time. You could tell there was more to explore with the lore of the Golden Blood, but they barely scratched the surface.

Also, the final episodes left me confused and a bit unsatisfied. Like—what really happened?! Tong dies, but then suddenly comes back to life because of Mark’s golden blood?! Then he’s dying again, and Mark feeds him more blood to save him?! I was like, “Wait, what?!” ”Is he alive, dead, alive again?! ”It felt like they tried to wrap up everything too quickly, and it ended up being more messy than emotional.

The Cast: Star Power with Gaps (7/10)
Of course, Joss and Gawin had chemistry. They played off each other really well, especially in the tender moments. I loved Mark’s soft but protective energy and how Tong tried to be strong but was clearly broken inside. But aside from the main leads and a few standouts like Neo and Mond, the rest of the cast felt... missing.

I wish they gave Mark a proper sidekick—maybe a loyal best friend who could also provide comic relief or emotional balance. Someone, either a strong female or an energetic boy character, to match the intensity. Ms. Thana had a lot of potential too, especially as a guardian-type or secret action hero figure, but they barely gave her any fight scenes or backstory. Such a waste.

Also, I kept hoping for some jealousy tension! Like maybe introduce a new boy character who’s into Tong, and Mark starts feeling insecure, or the other way around. That would’ve added layers to their bond and made the romance even more intense. But sadly, that kind of plot was left unexplored.

Rewatch Value: Moderate (7.5/10)
I’d rewatch it for the music, the visuals, and, of course, the chemistry between Joss and Gawin. But knowing the plot holes and rushed storytelling, it might not hit as hard the second time around. Still, some scenes are worth revisiting just for how beautifully they were shot and scored.

Final Thoughts:
“My Golden Blood” is a series that shines brightly because of its leads, soundtrack, and aesthetic, but it suffers from underdeveloped plot points and a lack of full character arcs. It had everything it needed to be iconic: a bold concept, a stunning cast, and an emotionally rich premise. But it played it too safe, too fast.

With a few more episodes, deeper side characters, and stronger writing, this could’ve easily been a 10/10. Still, for what it was, I’m grateful we got to see Joss Wayar take on a BL role and that we got Gawin Caskey doing what he does best—singing and acting his heart out.

Would I recommend it? Yes—especially if you’re a fan of either actor. Just be ready to fill in some blanks with your own imagination.

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My Golden Blood: A Missed Opportunity for a Promising Pair

I came into My Golden Blood with genuine curiosity, especially knowing it marked the debut of Josh and Gawin under GMMTV. Unfortunately, while the potential was there, the final product didn’t quite deliver.

Acting-wise, Gawin clearly carried more weight—he was consistently more grounded and expressive in his performance. Josh, though visually fitting for the role, often lagged a few steps behind in terms of emotional depth and delivery. Their chemistry had flashes of connection, but not enough consistency to sustain the emotional beats the story aimed for.

The special effects? Sometimes unintentionally funny. They pulled me out of the already shaky narrative rather than enhancing it.

As for the storyline—this is where things really fell apart for me. I understand taste is subjective, but this plot desperately needed a full rewrite. The premise had room to be something fun or even heartfelt, but the execution was superficial and lacking coherence. I struggled to feel any real emotional tension, angst, or even investment in the main relationship. Nothing really hooked me.

That said, Thara’s actress was a pleasant surprise. She brought nuance and energy to a role that could’ve easily been forgettable. Kudos to her.

In the end, I hoped for a stronger first outing from JoshGawin under the GMMTV umbrella. Let’s be frank—almost any story could have been a better debut vehicle than this one. Here’s to better scripts and stronger direction in the future. The actors deserve it.

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