My Stand-In

Missing a KEY ingredient

I enjoy a good toxic romance as much as the next guy, okay. I’ve enjoyed many a comparable story to this one. The issue I have with this particular toxic romance is that, in order for a toxic romance with a happy ending for the toxic pairing to be good, you need at least 1 of 4 things:

(1) a redeemable quality in the bad guy to make you like him despite everything
(2) a good backstory and redemption arc
(3) both characters are toxic
(4) bad guy has god-level visuals and/or an undeniable aura

This show had NONE of those. So, in my opinion, this was not a successful toxic romance story.

Acting:

Great job all around. Can’t deny that everyone did a good job portraying their characters. Poom and Up were fantastic. I think the casting was good for the most part However, I think they could have gone a different direction. Like, I wouldn’t say the casting for Ming was as good as the casting for Vegas, ya know? His acting was great, but he didn’t have like some sort of mannerism, or a natural swagger, or some sort of physical quality that forced me against my will to root for him despite his actions like other villains or toxic love interests do. It could have been anything. An expression of some sort, just anything to get me to root for him even a little bit. But, alas. None to be found here. Supporting cast was good, they weren’t really in it much, though.

Writing:

Listen… I like the basic concept with the whole stand-in who is a stand-in thing. But good god did they ruin it.
Oookay. So I already mentioned my main issue with this story. But DAMN it really is a serious issue. You NEED to make me root for the bad guy at least a little. At least give me context as to why tf they are the way they are so I can attempt to empathize. Like, I love a flawed character but a flaw is a bruise on an apple and there is a story behind that bruise. Sure, you can have a rotten apple character. But if you want that rotten apple to have a happy ending, you gotta do something to either make me understand the apple, like the apple, and/or desire the apple. NOW Joe… obviously he’s a loveable and pitiable lil guy. I do not for the life of me see what he saw in Ming. I can’t wrap my head around it. No shot that a man with a face like his was NEVER propositioned by someone before Ming in that truck, but he acted like he’s never been desired before, and that led him to somehow fall deeply in love within a matter of days. Idk, man… Nothing made sense with that guy. No real redemption arc here and no repercussions. Even the weird plot change to making Mr Papa Big Money the bad guy for a hot sec was executed so poorly. Idk, this was just a waste of a decent concept.

Chemistry/Romance/Kissing:

I felt like there was chemistry in the beginning of the story, but I couldn’t really feel it for the rest. Like, they had better chemistry when Ming viewed Joe as Tong’s replacement. This was not a well-executed romance. The kissing was fine.

NC Scenes:

Pretty solid stuff with the direction they went with them. I think the decision to write and shoot them as more raw and impulsive shots rather than making them artsy and intimate fits the story well. Actors really went for it. I love a vocal bottom situation, bro delivered.

Music/SFX:

I honestly didn’t really pay attention to the music in this, so it was fine ig. SFX were solid.

I just… Like… Idk… I just wish they gave me a reason to give a shit.

Now, for some highlights from my notes:

- Boy is beautiful
- Lmao not the two top trouble
- Ming is losing points at every turn here
- Run for the HILLS from that man, Joe
- The fact that Ming is endgame is INSANE I actually hate everything about him he needs at least one single redeeming quality but there is NONE to be seen
- The only positive thing you’re getting in this situation is dicked down and that does not suffice
- “And who said I was someone to you” to the person whose affections you accepted and MOVED IN WITH is INSANE
- THIS IS A MING HATE ACCOUNT
- “In this life, you won’t be able to find a better boyfriend than me”?????? I’d rather date Joo fucking Jaekyung, bro.
- I CANNOT BELIEVE that they expect me to watch these two end up together later
- AND he’s gonna sabotage his career to help Tong because he’s jealous?????
- Bro is a BLACK flag
- The description and tags on this show did NOT prepare me for any of this lmao
- This BEGS for a revenge plot
- Put this man in a psych ward OH MY GOD
- No because we’re not just gonna say “I’m sad I missed you so much” and have things be better
- Okay so Ming wants him to be the stand-in for his stand-in, who’s a stand-in. He’s to be the stand-in stand-in’s stand-in… So he’s a stand-in who was a stand-in and is gonna be a stand-in for the stand-in who was a stand-in… Joe the stand-in, who is now Joe the stand-in, will be a stand-in for Joe the stand-in who was a stand-in… Just making sure
- Lies of P(Joe)
- “No, no, no. I spent like 7 years obsessed with Tong just because I liked him for his back in a movie promo, which was actually YOUR back and that’s totally normal person behavior and I think we should just like be happy together now” LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP LOCK HIM UP
- Bro cooked 2 meals, drove him to work once, then used his mother to get brownie points so far. Current redemption score: -1
- Ming fucking him face-to-face is not nearly as impactful a plot point as I’m sure they intended
- Umm.. Wait.. Hold on… I think I must be mistaken… THAT was the redemption arc??? Final redemption score: -0.5
- GASP “You traded your privacy for little old me??? Wow, what a dreamboat” and NO ONE CLAPPED
- *Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking out the dooooor* JUST DO IT
- This last episode is trying so hard to like patch things up but I could not give less of a fuck at this point
- Wow, everyone changed their minds real quick here for a happy ending
- Tong gets off scot-free with a happy ending too??? What the fuck is this story
- This joyous dinner feels like a fever dream… Am I high??? What the fuck
- Wut: If you take this job we’re no longer brothers
Also Wut: You’re back with Ming? Live your life, brother.
???????????
- “I’m going back to Korea because I know he’ll make you happy” ???????? BASED ON WHAT
- No.

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IGNORE THE REVIEWS (NOT MINE) AND WATCH IT ASAP

My Stand-In was a very good drama. A lot of people told me that the male lead was a red flag, that he was a bad person, and that he did terrible things. They used big statements like how he destroyed someone's career and made it sound extremely serious.

As someone who reads reviews before watching a drama, I expected something much worse. The way people described it made it seem like there were heinous actions and extreme wrongdoing. But honestly, that was not my experience at all.

I think you can only truly judge a drama after watching it yourself. You cannot reduce an entire story or character to a keyword like "red flag" and expect that to tell the whole story. Everyone has their own perception. Because of those reviews, I judged this drama heavily and decided I was not going to watch it. Now that I have watched it, I can confidently say that it was actually very good.

One thing I especially appreciated was the groveling. In many dramas, there is little to no groveling at all. Characters make mistakes, say a quick sorry, and move on. They simply kiss and make up, which is a common trope in BL dramas. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is rare to see genuine remorse handled well.

Here, the male lead truly suffered for his mistakes. He was sorry, he cried, and he desperately tried to make things right. Yes, he did Joe dirty, but the story never ignored that. The emotional payoff was satisfying because of how much regret and effort went into earning forgiveness.

The pacing was good, the story kept me engaged, and considering it was made by the producers behind Top Form and their company, it turned out to be a solid drama overall.

I would definitely recommend watching it for yourself instead of relying solely on online reviews. Many people dismiss it because of things they have heard about the main character, but I do not think that gives a fair picture of the drama. It has strong emotional moments, good angst, and one of the better portrayals of groveling that I have seen.

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UpPoom ate, devoured and left no crumbs.

This series... was something. I told myself that I would binge it once it all came out, and yet, here I was, 5 weeks in and starting it. It's been so long that I don't even remember when the last time was that I watched a show that left me feeling either anxious, frustrated or angry at the end of every episode. I was genuinely holding my breath sometimes and biting my nails when some eps ended, and I realised that I had to wait a week. I'm giving it 9 stars for now, but maybe it will change later on to 8.5 when I dwell on this a bit more.

The premise of this show was so interesting and unique. It might have been confusing to some, but once you understand its smooth (or lack thereof) from there.

From the get go I knew Joe was going to be my cinnamon roll and the love of my life. Anyone who even remotely hurt him was in my blacklist, and they still haven't made it out. (Looking at you, Ming. *glares.*) This boy is the epitome of optimism, he's just trying to get through life and make a living. He sees the good in people, believes everyone at their core is to sweet. He deserves the world, but the world don't deserve him. And watching the universe constantly fuck with him (sometimes because of his own stupid decisions, cuz boy, wtf, sit down and think for a hot sec) was truly devastating.

"I started to realize, what love really was. It's like someone makes you feel like you're home." Him saying that was so sweet, yet heart-breaking cuz you know what's about to happen. And when it did... it still leaves me aghast.

Cuz boy, oh boy, Ming, the man that you are. The amount of anger I felt every time this man was on my screen was almost visceral. I wanted to punch the living day lights out of this motherfucker and then some. The arrogance, the narcissism, the gaslighting and manipulation... and on top of that, the fucking audacity of this bitch to come and still say Joe belongs to him! "Don't be too full of yourself, you're just a stand-in." When I tell you I wanted to reach over the screen and kill him myself. If I see him on the streets, its on sight.

Just watching this man constantly ruining Joe's life, and then other motherfuckers joining in and giving him hell frustrated and broke my heart at the same time. My baby did not deserve any of the shit he was going through, he just wanted to support his mum and life the new life he was given. And I'm not even going to start with how icky Sol made me feel. Like Ming is a blinking red flag, but he didn't make me feel icky, just made me want to murder him. Sol on the other hand... buddy ol' pal, pack it up. Your train let the station long time ago. Move. On.

But ep 9 was when my heart truly shattered. "Why are you crying now?! Why?! Why are you crying now?!" Up and Poom did so well in this scene I was entranced. I replayed it so many times just so it can break me again. The pain, resentment and tiredness all piled up and eventually exploded for poor Joe, and it was honestly so well delivered.

However, despite all the good things and the emotions this series made me feel, there were still some things that were meh about it. Hence why I didn't rate it higher, and don't know if it needs to bumped down to a 8.5 instead.

Firstly, what was Tong doing? I thought we set him up to be the big bad of the series, and yet he wasn't even present for most of it??? I was so fucking confused, and even forgot he exists for a bit. Every time this man came on screen I couldn't even look, it was that type of anger. They made him to be so hateful, but it went no where??? And May forgiving him so quickly?! Girlie that's not how you stand on business. Kick him to the curb, feed him to the dogs!!

Secondly, Ming's redemption arc was so lacklustre. There was practically nothing there for us to hold onto to make us feel like he truly deserved Joe. Everything was just shifted into his family or Tong. I can understand why Ming is the way he is, but I still don't like him. He had no love growing up, everything was handed to him but never his, and when he finally found someone who loved him, he turned into a possessive mofo with no regards to anyone's, including Joe's feelings. Even still, I will never forgive him. I just can't. He's fallen madly in love with Joe, but that doesn't change how he treated him or spoke to him. And until the very end of the series he has not changed. Which, surprisingly, I liked because it made a lot of sense to his character. He loves Joe, and only Joe. Everyone else are just pests to him apart from his family.

But that being said, the little moments they had as a couple were cute as much I hate to admit it. "I didn't know where you were, so I wanted to be seen in the public eye as much as possible. In case, one day you'd see me, you'd feel something and come back to me," I smiled and giggled on this part, okay? Sue me. I hate him, but the toxic part of me wanted him to be end game as well. Like damn, the forehead kisses in ep 10 were so intimate it felt like I was intruding.

Then again, our boy Joe here was gone from ep one. "No matter how many times I gotta choose, I still choose the same thing. Because someone is waiting for me." We lost this brother a long time ago, it was so obvious that he was going to pick Ming despite everything. Boy is as colourblind as bats are normal blind, there was no saving him.

But we finally did get the apology we were waiting for. It was long overdue, but we finally got it. "Since you'd disappeared, I prayed everyday... that I would see you again. I didn't want you to come back. But I wanted a chance to apologise to you. For everything that I'd done. P' Joe. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry." Mayhaps I teared up, mayhaps I awed. We'll never know.

Overall this series was fantastic, but it did lose itself a bit near the end. Tong, the redemption arc, the entire 180 Ming's mother had in her character arc. Nothing can make me like this bitch. NOTHING.

But the actors were amazing, they carried this show like no other. The chemistry was overflowing, and the cinematography and visuals were out of this world. The emotions were raw, they felt real, and I felt my hear break and enrage with these characters.

I hate Ming, but is he going into my fav bl red flags list? 100%

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This series really reminded me of Love is Cinta (lol), but it felt much more painful and intense. The story of Joe and Ming is very emotional, but what Ming did to Joe was just too much. Using someone who loves you as a replacement for someone else is not love? It’s sooo hurtful and selfish. Even if I loved someone a lot, I could never forgive them for doing that, not even if I came back to life a hundred times. Ming’s actions crossed a line that love can’t fix. It made me feel sad and angry, and I honestly thought Joe deserved so much better.

Still, I have to admit that the show pulled me in. The idea of Joe dying and waking up in another person’s body is really unique. It made me think a lot about what could happen to love when someone changes like that? The story shows how love can be confusing and painful, especially when one person is toxic. Joe is kind and innocent and stupid and dumb and crazy and blunt (IDK any other words that could describe his character), and Ming is controlling and full of guilt. Even though the story is dark and messy, it kept me watching. It’s not a sweet love story but it’s about heartbreak, second chances, and learning what real love should look like.

I cried, got angry, and felt stupid multiple times. I know it’s impossible to find someone like Joe, but I believe there’s someone out there just as stupid as he is.

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What a great couple, they make the plot better

Some toxic couple leads the protagonist to his own tragic death, but the destiny decides to give him another life chance at a reincarnation. Could be to deliver revenge? to fix the toxic relationship? or to find the full truth about his own death?

Besides the toxicity relationship along the series, the actors worked with such great chemistry and the plot even when some details are missing, we can really enjoy a fantasy plot with such deep emotions about death, second chances, mother's love, and more.

Prepare yourself for a lot of angry moments, a real sadly touching moments but also great mystery during the series as the reincarnated one wants to recover his older life that is not longer for himself in that new body.

One of the top most-watched series of 2024, I cannot say this is a must-watch because I miss so many holes in the plot about reincarnation, but the production, acting and the development of the story does compensate a lot about the plot issues.

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a whole rollercoaster, got me on my feet numerous times

i’ve just finished watching this like two minutes ago and all i can say is that this was WOW. i usually give bls 8-9 ratings, but this one out here impressed me !!

the plot was verrryy interesting, but the last episode felt like everything was too good… to finish this was to at least make some bad things happen too, idk for example tong and may breakup? something like that, but overall its this very good:)

the acting was AWESOME i was sooo into the scenes… ming’s crying and “pi joe!” gave me goosebumps frr !! hes so talented… he deserves more recognition.

what more i cna say? it’s worth watching and i recommend it to everyone! my stand in, a whole rollercoaster.

rating 9.4/10 <3

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Confusing at first but incredible acting.

I wasn't planning to watch it at first but then i followed the mass.
I'm gonna be honest the first few episodes were kind of confusing to me but once i got the hang of the plot then i started to get invested in the characters.

The story is something i've never seen before in bl and the way they executed it was quite good, it could have been better for some parts but overall this was enjoyable.

Joe is an absolute sweetheart, i couldn't help but feel bad for him literally every second of this damn show. I have no idea if Poom is a new actor or not but his performance was pretty impressive.
I still don't like Ming and i had a really hard time believing in his redemption arc or whatever they tried with his character.
Tong was despicable and i hate HATE that he got an happy ending.
Everybody was so good but i have to give it up to the main leads for their incredible and believable performances.

The music wasn't noticeable to me and i dont think this is a show i would rewatch. I feel that once you know the twists and turns they gave us every week it's not interesting to watch this again.

Overall this show was a nice surprise, i wasn't expecting anything from it but everyone did a great job. I don't agree with some people calling it the best show from 2024, there's a few that i'm enjoying way more but this was a great project nonetheless.

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joe deserves so much love

Thirty years ago, Korn and Intouch were university students in Bangkok. Intouch entered Korn's life despite knowing that he was the son of one of the most influential crime bosses in Bangkok. At first, Korn pushed Intouch away, but in the end, he couldn't resist the boy who was so full of life, his exact opposite.

However, their love was star-crossed in a time when homosexuality was unacceptable. Amidst mounting chaos in their lives, Intouch kept fighting for their future, but Korn could not deal with all the suffering and decided to give up. That day, the sounds of two gunshots rang through the air. Though their story ended in tragedy, something had tied itself between them and kept them bound even beyond death.

Years later, nineteen-year-old Pharm returns to Thailand as a freshman at T- University. Riddled with sad dreams that wake him with a wet face, plagued with a fear of loud noises, and bearing a birthmark on his temple, the boy has always had a sense that he was missing someone. Twenty-one-year-old Dean is a third-year student and the swimming club's president at T- University. He, too, has spent his life searching for someone whose face he can not remember.

The red thread of fate that had tied them together in their past life pulls the two boys together once again, tying them to each other and to a past that might not be worth remembering. The red thread that binds their two hearts together will always lead one back to the other; it may tangle and stretch, but it will never break.

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It was interesting but with further episodes I got bored

First of all, Joe needs therapy because Ming was using him as a replacement of Tong which was beyond infuriating. Also, I hoped for a revenge plot where Joe would make the ones suffer who indirectly killed him.

Ming was unlikeable, atrocious, narcissist and selfish. Ik his character is meant to be like that but atleast the writers could've gave him a redemption arc. Either ways the actor did a fantastic job with portraying Ming because he literally made my blood boil whenever his presence was on screen.

Regarding the side characters Sol's presence felt like nothing and the relationship between him and Joe was unnecessary.

What I liked about the drama was:
• chemistry between the lead actors
• ming's acting skills ( idk the actors' name)
• joe's visuals
• plot ( it was weak in the 2nd half)

In conclusion, the show got boring in the second half and I ended up skipping half of the scenes in order to finish it.

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