High School Frenemy

No Kiss?

Acting was Great! Sky gave his character lovable meat head can beat your ass vibes, and him as Tsunami made sooooo much sense. The look he can give when ready to fight is great. Nani did the same with his character, closed off and hurt friend but when he went into fight mode he 100% gave a serial killer kind of look. If looks could kill it would be Nani. Sky is too lovable "puppy" to have that kind of look. ALSO! MARK! That boy did a FANTASTIC job of portraying Chadjen! It is very hard to play a character that is very much on the Spectrum when the actors is not. As a family member of a few he definitely nailed one of the types of reactions and actions of someone on the spectrum. At times I forgot he wasn't the main character. He is very much a talented actor!

Oh yea my headline....Definitely a Bromance! But heavy on the romance. It was more surprising they didnt share a kiss then if they had. The script they had plus the emotions felt you'd think by the last scene they'd confess their love for each other in a Romantic way BUT NOPE. 100% Friends and it's amazing. It reminds me of friendships I have had as a young adult.

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Best way to end 2024

I put this off for weeks for no reason 😭😭 Seriously exceeded my expections.

SkyNani... God, their acting was exceptional here. I'm not even sad this isn't bl. The bromance was bromancing and SkyNani should stick to this concept if they're gonna deliver so well! I got to add, Nani is just too beautiful not to stare at and Sky's eyes got a language of their own to deliver his emotions.

I love the portrayal of friendship and other bonds, it was heartwarming and tear-striking at times. (They made me cry man) Especially Mark as Chadjen, such a crucial role, also Ken. We can see how adults here earn the respect of the young ones by giving their own respect where it's due.

Love the camera work and the OSTs were soulful.

Finished this series in 2 days and I can confidently say I don't regret the time I put into it. What a masterpiece!!!

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They served drama, chaos, and bromance... and I’m not over it.

High School Frenemy had all the ingredients for an unforgettable school drama—rival campuses, broken friendships, and just enough tension to keep you hooked. And let me tell you, this show ate and left no crumbs.

Saint and Shin? Absolute icons. Their whole “we used to be besties but now we’re enemies” vibe is straight-up fire. Saint’s got that brooding, too-cool-for-school energy, while Shin is all sass and rage, and the way they clash is chef’s kiss. The tension? Off the charts. You’ll be yelling at your screen one minute and clutching your chest the next because the feels are real.

And don’t even get me started on the side characters—they understood the assignment. Chadjen’s quiet wholesomeness, Ken and the twins always bringing some trouble (but being good at heart), and the rest of their classmates add so much depth. These aren’t just background extras; they’re out here serving personality and adding layers to the story. Even the teachers, Ms. Jan and Mr. Sung, are low-key MVPs. They’re like the glue holding the chaos together—strict when they need to be but always rooting for their students in the most genuine way.

Now, let’s talk music because wow. The soundtrack? Straight bangers. It’s like the perfect playlist for every mood—heartbreak, rage, nostalgia—you name it. Whoever put it together deserves a raise because it hits every time.

And that ending? Ugh, so satisfying. It doesn’t give you all the answers on a silver platter, but it ties up just enough to make you feel things while still leaving you thinking about it days later.

High School Frenemy isn’t just a show; it’s a whole moment. It’s got drama, vibes, and a ton of heart. If you’re not watching it, what are you even doing? Stop sleeping on this gem and get ready to be obsessed.

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Not a BL but definitely a must watch series.

This series is definitely going to be my all time favourite. I mean, when I heard it was not a BL, I was having second thoughts about whether to watch or not but once I started watching it, trust me I didn't regret watching it even for a single episode. I mean I know they say this is not a BL but they both have more chemistry than the actual BL couples. I have never blushed so hard while watching any drama as much as I've blushed watching this. I mean I punched my pillow, screamed my lungs out especially during the 8th episode. I would definitely, definitely recommend this drama to all the BL or even the non BL drama fans. This is one of the very few dramas that I would actually want to watch again and again on repeat.
Just loved the chemistry, the plot, characters and everything about this drama. In absolute Love with this drama for sure.

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BROMANCE or ROMANCE?! Absolutely loved it!

If you’re thinking whether to watch this series or not. PLEASE DO WATCH IT! This is by far the best drama from GMMTV this year. It felt like I was watching censored chinese bl drama lol with the amount of 'friend' love confessions and proposals that we got from Shin and Saint. The guys even say 'I love yous' at the end before cringing together lmao! Honestly love this new couple!

I do admit I had to be patient for the first two episodes but later the plot and story picked up really well and I was hooked on the series!
The casting was perfect! Both teachers Miss Jan and Mr Sung were great! Thats how all teachers should be tbh!
I can't think of anybody else playing Shin and Saint apart from Nani and Sky. These guys were fantastic with their roles. And our adorable Chedjan played by Mark Pukin was the best side character/angel boy anyone could ask for!
What I LOVED about this series was that all characters, MLs, side characters, everyone had good screentime and a lovely growth arc. We have Ken turning into a good boy, we have Shin finally being close to forgiving Saint for hurting him and abandoning him, we have Saint learning to take responsibility for his actions, we have Chadjen breaking out of his shell and making new friends, we have Peeta and Eve growing closer after their fights, we have the teachers getting better at understanding their students and not trying to judge them from first meetings. We have Saint's dad being the best parent, the principal and Ken's dad turning over a new leaf.

For me this series had everything, from love, bromance, friendship, hate, revenge, fights, drugs, gang war and more! And the directors and writers did a wonderful job with bringing on complex emotions and dialogues into the play.
And I have to say that Nani and Sky have become my new fav couple. Nani with his 'eye-acting' was fabulous. I don’t know how this guy can look so pretty while crying and being in pain. I only knew Nani as MJ from F4 and now Nani as Shin was something totally different! This guy CAN act and act he did!
Saint our cute big puppy with a gummy smile trying to make up to his friend for betraying him! Sky was very good with his role, and I'm so happy these guys are getting more recognition.
Waiting on the new 'WU' series! I'm sure it's gonna be wonderful!

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The inherent homoeroticism of having a frenemy

School 2013 meets Gokusen 3 meets GGMTV. That's it, that's the plot. The storyline of Go Nam Soon and Park Heung Soo was legendary in 2013 and it was not only because they were played by Koreas two biggest heartthrobs. The depth and rawness of their relationship is timeless and definitely worth revisiting.

The problem of High School Frenemy is that the plot, focused only on Shin-Saint, was going in frustrating weakly written circles. In Gokusen and School2013, the real leads are the teachers (adults). Their direct and constant involvement makes individual stories more impacful and level-headed, no matter how over the top or reused any students' storyline is. Where the teenage characters go crazy, teachers provide reasoning and almost-realistic solution. This doesn't happen in HSF. The true leads of High School Frenemy are Shin and Saint. While S2013 weaves the frenemy story between numerous other plots, HSF builds 90 % of the drama on their relationship and gives space to other classmates and teachers almost as an afterthought. When they finally focus on other stories (last 4 episodes!), the actual writing is, aside from one exception, just silly and lacking depth. And adults in this story? All of them are selfish, simple-minded, one-dimensional beings who shouldn't come near children.
Anyway, Shin and Saint are actually good teenage protagonists. Emotional trainwrecks, rowdy, imperfect (and closeted). And so everything between Saint and Shin lasts for too long and gets annoyingly convoluted. It was one step forward, two steps backward type of thing with them. The "chasing" arc takes forever and then they Misunderstand (again), Break up, Make up and have THE SAME. FUCKING. CONVERSATION again and again and again and it gets frustrating/boring to watch despite their great chemistry as characters/actors.

This drama is not bad, i swear. The components are there, but it lacks clear vision on directors and scriptwriters side. Was this about friendship? Pre-relationship? Were they gay? Was this queerbaiting? I choose to interpret it as gay pre-relationship, but I feel the director cannot give confident reply on this because they wanted it all. This is GMMTV, afterall.
Had this been a BL drama, Saint-Shin's 'will they/won't they' relationsip would lead to one epic kiss and make up session. And it would be so fucking good. To quote other user "if this was mainland China drama, this would be an adaptation of same-sex novel". BUT, unfortunately, as this is NOT a BL drama and neither it is from mainland China. There is no heterosexual or other explanation for their behaviour other than queerbaiting. Please director and scriptwriter, first make up your mind on the direction of this story. We DO NOT need this level of queerbaiting in 2024 drama. Like… what was even that last scene?!
You might argue this was intended, that this is the wonder of homoerotic subtext at its finest... And i would like to believe this argument, too. But to me there is very little sublety in this, no subtext to talk about. When everything is in plain sight, is it subtext? Maybe the line between homoerotic subtext and queerbaiting is for different people in different place.

As it stands, the (main) story feels somehow unresolved. The real emotional climax, that would somehow elevate this story of Saint-Shin situationship, doesn't happen (except for, you know, platonic bedsharing, platonic eye contacts, SEVERAL platonic "i love you"s, platonic headpats and platonically raising a child). They are superbestfriends, ocassionally roommates and always soulmates(?!). And while i can appreaciate good platonic friendship (especially in dramas of this genre)... These characters are written in such romantically charged way, there's no other explanation. These guys are gay and they don't know they are dating. And it felt so frustrating to watch at some point (and not in a good way).
The stories of other kids in Class 2 were also botched. I guess they are now all close friends..? But if you think about it, the only person who got their story fully developed was Chadjen. Others? Cable's storyline? Not revisited. The competition plot? Not revisited. Airy-Eve? Not revisited. Peeta's story? NOT REVISITED. So many plots that deserved more time than dealing 5x with the drug gang.

So yeah, this a two-man show. Sky (Saint) and Nani (Shin) are actually doing great acting job while the rest of the cast is giving amateur theatre. Honorable mentions for good perfomance go to Mark (Chadjeen) and Bonnie (Peeta) - perhaps because they were the only other characters who had stronger script.

For large part of the 16 episodes, i enjoyed the drama. But at the end, it was just frustrating to watch due to all i have said in previous paragprahs. I truly wish High School Fremenemy had clear vision because it could work. But they chose the only one way im not willing to truly accept. The queerbait way.

PS: What was with those super long eye-contact+silences scenes? That was definitely a choice.

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This show was great! Probably one of the best GMM series this year, if not the past couple years.

I almost didn't watch it due to it *not* being listed as LGBT or Gay. In my opinion, the genre should be changed, there is quite a bit more than a bromance between the main leads here, and some of the girls are also a bit sweet for each other. I would say that it has slight elements of LGBT throughout. No kissing or anything like that, but there is hand-holding and lots of sweet gazes and suggestive comments and I love you-s.

There was terrific chemistry here, especially with the main leads, but also with the supporting characters. I think there was more flirting and chemistry in this series than in most of the BL series of the past year! The acting as a whole was terrific.

There was a lot of violence, but the underlying story was good, and it had good character development and for most of characters they didn't leave too many loose ends. I won't say too much, many have commented about elements of the story, so no need to rehash it here other than to say it was unique, and well thought out. It didn't drag, nor did I get bored with this series like I did with other GMM series this past year.

There wasn't much to criticize, there was some very obviously fake rain in a couple places (dry in the background) and the fighting was a bit over the top compared to what injuries they sustained during the fights. But overall this was a pretty well produced and edited series.

Couple of notes:

Saint really does have a cute puppy dog face. Saint and Shin are definitely a couple, and are fooling around with each other. Everyone knows they are a couple, even (or especially) Chatjen. These boys are in denial here.

So is it Ken+Knot, Ken+Nate, or Knot+Ken+Nate in a throuple? Sure seems like there is some sexual tension there in that group.

Jeng has crazy psycho killer eyes here, but is somehow sexy/hot. I sure wouldn't kick him out of bed!

Could they have chosen any taller, larger, and more "Western" looking actor for Ken's dad? Ken sure didn't get any height or skin tone or looks from his dad. Maybe he is the postman's son, and that is why dad is resentful of Ken?

Chatjen was a very interesting and positive addition to this show. Mark did a great job with this part.

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(B)Romance is strong

I’ve watched School 2013 but it’s been a long time ago, therefore I didn’t remember much or nothing, that’s crazy, I just know Lee Jongsuk and Kim Woobin were in it, not more.

So I think, this is a really good serie that depict mainly the special relationship (a deep friendship) of Saint and Shin, and then, in the background, there’s also some high schoolers’ conflicts.

What I really liked is that they took time to introduce little by little some events to catch our attention. The pace was good although I would sometimes find it a little bit too long or maybe, they were focusing on some details that were not that important (or even, what I didn’t consider important).

However, it was still nice to follow their journey, it’s like a bit of coming of age, family matters, friendship matters and even to adapt in this kind of society that being called « High School ».

The school bullying is still alarming, concerning along with a lot of fight scenes so it might not be for you for this part. But still, this serie was very engaging and I also think it’s mainly because of the dynamic of SaintShin (the two actors did a great job) that carry the show. Their bound is very special and precious.

Oh and I really love the intro song, it suits so much the vibes of High school frenemy.

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Best (b)romance I have ever watched.

One phrase: Chemistry is chemistrying
If I knew when I was starting this tv show that was recommended by my friend my life is gonna change, I will find my new family and have the best time of my life watching all the content and the episodes along with people needing and screaming the same things I would have started it earlier.
Class 2 will always have a special place in my heart.
Saintshin really changed the trajectory of my life, it feels like I’m exaggerating but guys it’s true.


What I didn’t like:

- I won’t deny I got annoyed at first with the repetition of “Please forgive me” “No” “Please forgive me” “No”. Not knowing the backstory, not knowing exactly their bond, I thought it was kind of tiring and felt like if this were to happen to me I would be mad mad. BUT! : Once I learned exactly the back story and Shin’s feelings about the situation I changed my mind. Even tho I was a little bit annoyed I was rooting for them from the start but when I learned everything ??? I was ROOTING ROOTING like OH MY GOD. I just feel like they could have reduce the draggy part a little bit. Just that.


What I liked:
EVERYTHING!! Let me break them down:

-My most important thing: their bond. Never seen a bond as strong as this. It’s raw, it’s so beautifully portrayed. It’s the reason I wanted to continue watching. The reason this show won the hearts of thousands of fans.

-The acting: I swear their acting is something else. It more than saved the show: it elevated it, it made it bloom. They were ALL amazing. Every single actor was so good but Skynani outdid themselves. They shined! Their performances were so REAL so emotional. But yeah I gotta give credit to all the actors. I’m thinking of specific scenes, especially towards the end that made me even cry.

-The emotions: In this tv show I’ve cried, I’ve laughed, I screamed. I was fangirling, I was deeply moved , I was proud. I was happy, I was sad, I was stressed, relieved etc. Felt too many emotions to count.

-Their relationship with ChingChing, the baby sister will make your heart melt. And the friendships?!?! The relationship with Chadjen😭 All of them I can’t spoil. I just loved this show so much, I can’t watch anything now, I MISS THEM😭 MISS MY FAMILY!

-Themes: It dealt with some important themes. Like autism, bullying, pressure from parents for school, drugs, alcohol, abuse, friendship and family bonds.

-Can I also appreciate the teachers?! As I also just received my teacher degree, I felt so motivated, so inspired. I loved their efforts, their love and actual care for their students. Oh my gosh this show really changed me.

Overall: PLEASE WATCH IT YOU WON’T REGRET IT! DON’T GIVE UP BEFORE EP 11!!!!!
WISH IT HAD MORE EPISODES

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