ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Standard Cliche-Filled BL

Perhaps I am becoming so jaded by the similarities in Thai BL stories that I found this series to be yet another standard typical cliché-driven saga. Except that the protagonists, of whom there are many, were all drop-dead gorgeous and this time did not lack talent in singing and dancing, which made it more entertaining to watch. Again, like so many of these series, either I do not understand its aim, or I am in a glazed over state of mind that I just did not get the message. But perhaps I am projecting my own prejudices upon a culture that I do not fully understand. Admittedly, I am of a generation that does not regard the dynamics of the generational infantile and juvenile behaviors of the times as normal. However, I did finally get to comprehend and understand the deep encroachment that fans have on entertainers. It becomes clear why the term ‘fanatic’ is attached to the term ‘fan’.

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Falloff of such an amazing start

This is my first time leaving a review and I dont normally do one, but I felt compelled to leave one because I love how this series began.

However, I am slowly losing interest over the last few episodes. The story is not developed enough and just isnt hitting hard enough. (Maybe this will change over the upcoming episodes). I have always felt like Thame is forced to like Po because everyone sort of ‘teased’ him into liking Po.

The cast was great but I had to admit it, but Nut mostly carried the series because if it wasnt for him, the two main characters wouldnt have even realized they liked each other.

I had high hopes for the music coming from this series. They’re okay, but they’re not Last Twilight-good.

I really hoped the remaining episodes would change my opinion.

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You kinda want to fall in love along with them

First time I watched the trailer, I thought it wasn't for me. But after everyone raving about it, I got curious.

What can I say? ThamePo make falling in love feel so amazing, you just kinda want to fall in love with the way they are falling in love. You know, the "courting", the shy smiles, the long phone calls. The part when you are just giddy at the thought of spending time with your crush. The drama does it really well.

I was surprised how fast the drama passed. At ep. 9 I felt like barely anything had happened, but at the same time it did?
The story line to save MARS was cute, but it made me go crazy how none out of 5 people considered to speak to any lawyer regarding their contracts. Also the ending made no sense with the CEO suddenly deciding to play nice and STILL no laywers involved? Like on the one hand it showed realistic things, such as angry fans that were pissed at their idol to be dating. But then wrap up the whole show in the most unrealistic way ever.

Also I am convinced we were robbed of Emo!Thame writing sad love songs. And I wanted to see the reaction of Netizens when they find out about ThamePo!! Can't believe we were robbed of this.

The acting was not bad, considering it was mostly their first time. Unfortunately, I had just watched something else with really good acting performances so the difference was stark. I have seen far worse acting in BL, though. WilliamEst have good chemistry, I look forward to more projects hopefully!

Music was really nice! Ironically, we don't get a scene of one of the protagonists standing on stage with a guitar, singing to his bae.

I rated the rewatch value rather low, because (as of right now) I don't really feel the itch to rewatch.

Overall, it's a good drama though. IMO just not the best GMMTV has ever produced.

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An unexpected gem

Perhaps it was the lack of expectations going into this that made this watch so enjoyable. This had the recipe for potential disappointment i.e. idol group turning to acting, teen-centric theme, new leads, a predictable storyline. Glad this wasn't eye candy, fan-fodder, BL cliche stuff and was actually well-scripted and beautifully filmed (lighting, cinematography, musicality), with well-thought out characters.

I personally really liked Pemika, Po and Thame's characters. And while i understand the purpose of Bifern's character, it sometimes felt a little too scripted and propaganda-ish, although I liked how they gave the character a chance to articulate the emotions fans feel and the complex relationship they build with their idols. It gave audiences a peek into the fandom universe and fan psyche.

The pacing was comfortable with good control of emotions throughout the entire series, not too dramatic, not too mellow, with a peppering of light-hearted moments. The leads also had good chemistry and I liked that the show wasn't overly focused on them and their romance and actually fleshed out the relationship of the group's members. Some of my favourite parts were when Thame was trying to win his members back, the press conference and conversation between Thame and Gam, and the scene when Po asked Thame if he felt tired. The dialogue between the two leads was also very poetic, and their romance had a nice build up with an underlying tension of unstoppable attraction mixed with a pervasive fear of exposure. The process of them falling in love was just beautiful to watch.

Aside from some strange choices in plot design (e.g. how they somehow managed to keep Thame apart from everyone in the company despite the upcoming concert, and the rescue mission), this was a very enjoyable watch that would tug at your heart strings.

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I was surprised

Honestly when I read about idol and non celebrity romance I thought it will be superficial story without any obstacles but I was surprised that they actually tried to show challenges with dating someone popular and within music industry.
For me story was very immersing. I felt connected to characters and even cried few times. I really like the acting.
Although title suggest that it is mostly ThamexPo romance focused I think It would be even greater if every member of group had it's own story more developed. It would feel more meaningful for the viewers to see all of their colours and make story more memorable.
I really liked rap battle episode. Their rap was actually good. It made this episode really exciting.
Dancing was so-so but honestly in comparison with other dramas when actors were dancing it was actually not bad.
It was more on the cute side when it comes to romance part and a little bit unrealistic but emotions were portrayed well so I didn't mind that much.
One thing I was iffy about is characters changing opinions that quickly. Like for me that part was the most unrealistic.
In conclusion it's a little bit on cute side romance. Story is fine but if they would put a bit more attention to it it would be great drama.

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Everyone keeps telling how great the chemistry between William & Est. So I decided to check this out to find out for myself. Hoho…

Story about Thame & Po. Thame is the lead singer of Mars boyband. And Po is a new recruit, hired as a videographer to document behind the screen Mars group for their final concert before disbandment. The company had plans to send Thame to Korea & learn to be an Idol. & since Thame is the lead singer & the most famous from Mars, without him the company values Mars to be unworthy to be held on, therefore the company just planned to disband the group with the departure of Thame.

But soon, Po discovers hidden truth beyond the band disbandment, that it is all forced by company to Mars group, while all the members are really reluctant to be separated. So, starting with Thame, Po started to help the members to be united & find the strength to fight against the company. And with the right first impression between each other, & Thame-Po closer interaction with each other, slowly but surely their feelings begin to bloom into something else.

But the problem remains the same for Mars & their company. Will all the effort Thame, the group & Po put on Mars successfully make them stay together as the group or will the company still insist to disband the group & just send Thame to Korea by himself…? And how about the relationship between Thame-Po itself, will the fans ever discover their affair…? If so, what will the fans reaction be…?

That's pretty much the story without giving any more spoilers. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ The chemistry between Willam & Est is like everybody talking about. Simple yet right.
+ The close truth to the ‘bad apples’ of the entertainment industry.
+ The Mars member relationship. After watching this, I realized that they really are indeed members of the LYKN group. I really hope their relationship is just like in the drama.
+ We all have mixed feelings for Pemika [CEO of Oner Entertainment]. Is she really bad as a person, because she just thinks about Oner’s interest & just ignores the member's wish? Or is she good, cause she really thinks of each member as an individual apart from the group? But I really happy my feeling for her right from the start.

Well overall this is really one good drama. Below I’ll write what I don’t like & that’s quite a big spoiler. So… Read it at your own risk...









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SPOILER ALERT!!!
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What I don’t like:
Although the drama is quite true about the bad of the entertainment industry, here are some stupid things that are not really in line with that perspective.
- How stupid for Thame-Po to be just out in the open space without really needing to conceal Thame's face, yet no one really photographs them together.
- How easy in the end Thame just admitted Po to be his boyfriend. I mean the last episode, where Po introduces Thame as his boyfriend, he’s not even bothered to ask his friend to not share the photo to the public…. Thame is still the idol in the end…

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A Refreshing Story

Honestly, I really liked this series. It wasn't perfect, and you could definitely see the areas where the novice actors could improve. But it was heartfelt and well thought out. It was refreshing to watch something slow and sweet. Every week, I looked forward to it, wondering where the characters would go, how it would end, and if Thame and Po would make it through.

A big part of the story focused on the realities of being an idol—how companies control you, how it causes problems within groups, how people think they have the best intentions for you, how fans become rabid, and how dreams change as you move forward. Thame was stuck in the middle, and his desire to keep his group together (and we later find out is a shared sentiment between all of them) actually made things worse. Then Po came along, and suddenly, the plans to reunite and grow together felt possible again. Strange how one thing you thought was so mundane becomes a strong force in your life.

The friendship aspect was strong, too. The show emphasized the bond of Mars, highlighting each member's relationships and how Thame, despite his “martyr” attitude, was genuinely loved. The same went for Po and his relationships with his coworkers, MARS, and Fern.

The romance was subtle and sweet. You could tell Thame and Po cared for each other. The domestic moments, the desperation to maintain their connection, and how they valued the people around their partner were beautiful. Even minor characters got their moments to shine.

One of the highlights for me was how they introduced the concept of how leaving someone feels and how those being left behind feels at the beginning, and then brought it back later. Very well done.

Of course, as beautiful, sweet, and heartfelt as the story was, there were still some areas for improvement.

First, the series started strong, with good anticipation and dialogue. But towards the end, the episodes felt a bit rushed, and the build-up wasn’t sustained. For example, there was a very emotional scene that was well done on its own, but the scenes leading up to it did not have the right kind of build-up to really hit hard.

The ending was another point. It wasn’t bad, but it could have been more impactful considering the themes they were addressing. Still, it was nice to see the characters get a resolution and that plot twist--made it a bit more worthwhile.

Second, there was an episode near the end that focused on a table discussion, which felt unnecessary. It could have been executed better, and it lacked a sense of urgency. We knew that certain character was important to all of them, but it didn’t come across as that.

Third, the resolution for one character felt rushed. This character was already a ghost from the beginning so it would have been nice if the impact back to that character came with more profoundness. I know not everyone needs a special moment, but it didn’t have the impact it should have.

Lastly, the message. The series had good dialogue and points, but some decisions made it feel more preachy than sentimental. The delivery didn’t quite match the intended emotion which is sad-- considering the message is supposed to be good.

Despite that., everything was still good. So much so, that I want to highlight the beautiful main cast.

Est has grown so much. Seeing him in a lead role was great. His expressions and connection with the audience have improved, and he can sing now!

William showed promise from Project ALPHA, and it carried over. His stage expressions translate well on screen. He continues to prove that he is the star everyone knows he is.

Lego, Nut, Tui, and Hong are made for stardom. They’re talented musicians on their own right, and if they continue acting, they have a lot of potential to shine there too.

The OST was good, and LYKN + EST is very talented. This was a good series project for them.

Overall, ThamePo was good. I wish the characters happy lives and the cast more success. Highly recommended.

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Thame... oh how I love you

Oh my goodness where do I even start, I should have been taking notes while watching lol. I freaking LOVED this drama, it has been a long time since I have rated something 9/10 and honestly it takes a lot to get that but how could I not this was a masterpiece.

Lets start off by saying COMMUNICATION!!! I hate a miscommunication trope and this drama delivered the exact opposite, like hello to the biggest green flag... Thame. Anytime Po doubted his feelings or his relationship with Thame, he was right there to reassure him. I cannot believe this is William's first drama because he absolutely crushed the role. Building off of that, WilliamEst chemistry is next level. Literally radiating through the screen you could feel how deeply they felt for each other, a big reason why I am now obssessed. I swear every episode I was holding my breath and completely and utterly locked in.

At the end of the day this was just such a good romance drama, I liked that there was only 1 couple and so we got to focus just on them. I have to talk about the tension, literally every episode, just a brush of their fingers or the nervous hand holding I squealed (actually out loud lol). I feel like every episode delivered, there wasn't 1 episode that I wanted to skip through useless parts/ moments, I truly loved every second of it (except Miss Pemika can burn in a fire fr).

This drama has so easily made it into my top lists, not only did everything I say above hit so hard but I loved the way they tackled issues surrounding idol relationships and toxic companies. I was so angry and upset with the fans when it came to Pepper and then so frustrated with ONER when it came to everything with Thame but it was also so needed. This is a reality for many idols and as a fan of idol groups myself it is important to remember at the end of the day idols are just human. I also loved how the main conflict between Thame and Po was so short, it wasn't dragged out multiple episodes, which don't get me wrong works for some dramas but this one it wasn't the main focus and didn't need to be. And yet there was still conflict throughout the series but it focused on other areas and topics.

Highly HIGHLY recommend!!

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I surprisingly enjoyed it

Disclaimer

What I am writing here are my views and thoughts about this movie. Some of you may not like it. That does not give you the right to try to come at me with your opinions on why this series should get a better score and why it is better than I think it is. You have your own opinions, and I have mine. Kindly respect that.

Let me start by saying that this series was not on my radar to watch. However, I have been away for a short period ( 1 month), and I decided to watch this series. I am glad that I did, as I must say, I did enjoy it. I felt that William and Est did a good job here, as this was their first leading series. I liked some of the other main actors ( Lego, Hong and Nut) and some of the supporting characters ( Sammy and Drake) more than them, though, at times. I have watched previous series that dealt with singers, but this one dealt with the side that I know Kpop fans live in when someone from your fave group starts dating, what would be the outcome? It is a sad truth that these idols do apologise for just dating someone that they like and for just living their lives. So, it was sad seeing that in this series.

I must say that for sure, hands down, that Pemika was the villain of this story as I got so pissed off when I saw her as she was only trying to better the company and did not care for the boys (although it did seem at a time that she did). She is a strong contender for me for villain of the year.

I did enjoy this series while some parts I did not fully believe (these boys are big stars and no one is rushing them when they are walking in the open or sitting down there with no disguises on?!!) or not like (Earn could kick some rocks). All in all, I would recommend this series, especially if you are a fan of idols as they may go through some of the things that Mars did in this series.

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can fridays just be everyday plz

williamest chemistry is so phenomenal literally have me giggling kicking my feet and all theyve done is breathe next to each other i need the next eps like a DRUG😫😫😫😫

from the acting, plot, pace, cinematography, production, bgm etc i am thoroughly enjoying watching every episode as it comes out. i love how the background music is used to elevate scenes instead of being added just for the sake of being added. also mentioned this before but i am just love love loving the chemistry between thame & po as well as the rest of the character dynamics aswell.

really looking forward to seeing what the next episodes have in store for us !!!!

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Interesting concept, shaky execution

I've come away from ThamePo with a strong appreciation for what it was trying to accomplish, but some disappointment in how it was executed. Here are my thoughts:

NOTE: I am a screenwriter and a BL scholar. My criticism (positive and negative) stems from my experience in both fields, as well as my thoughts as a BL fan. Please understand that my thoughts are my own, and I am making no judgment on anybody who thinks differently!

STORY/SCREENPLAY

ThamePo is tackling strong, thematic questions about industry, celebrity, privacy, and parasocial relationships between idols and fans, and for that, I commend it. The last few years has seen a rise in BLs that deal with these subjects, so it was only a matter of time before GMMTV followed along. The show's highlights, for me, were the moments that really dug in: Pepper's relationship arc with Gam, Fern's perspective as a fan, the conversations with Pemika about the inner workings of the company and how that clashes with the desires of the artists, and even Po's relationship with his ex, Earn, who values money and notoriety over personal relationships. I think these were interesting, especially considering how relevant they likely are to many of the actors in the show.

The issue, then, is that these were quite fleeting moments and the two central storylines, MARS' reunification and Thame and Po's relationship, failed to capture my attention. My issue with the MARS plot was that it lacked any meaningful tension. When Thame has to confront each of the other members, all of whom are apparently very angry with him for abandoning them (as they perceive it), they all immediately agree to rejoin the group, or they were secretly never angry with him, etc. Even the most difficult one to convince takes about half an episode. Obviously, in a show like this, we know the group will get back together, but I should at think, for a moment, that they might not. I should be invested in Thame's mission to get them back together because he keeps facing obstacles, rather than being bored because I had to watch four or five episodes of Thame only needing to say two words to each band member to make them come back.

Once they're back together, MARS really doesn't struggle at all to get back to the top of the charts. We're told several times (another gripe I have with the show - we're told, not shown, most things) that being #1 is extremely important, but we're not given any reason that this wouldn't happen. I feel like this could've been fixed by having Joong's character be a bigger threat, or by showing that maybe fans had lost interest in them, or were upset that they were breaking up. That would put the pressure on MARS to do something new, to take a risk, and hope it paid off. I kept thinking back to My School President - Chinchilla kept losing over and over again and that was such a smart move for the writers to make, because it made us root for them even more. I think the second half of ThamePo found its footing, and the clear conflict between MARS and Pemika allowed for a good throughline plot with a satisfying ending.

This lack of tension extended to Thame and Po's relationship, too. People keep calling this a slowburn, but it sort of isn't? Sure, they don't kiss until pretty late in the series, but they pretty much realize they like each other immediately and there's not a particularly good reason that they can't get together earlier, so the slowburn, and the yearning that should be palpable from it, isn't that effective. I thought the love triangle with Jun was pretty interesting (and the scene where Thame and Jun play air hockey is probably my favorite scene of the series), and there's a little bit of the whole "we can't be together because I'm famous" thing (though that's mostly implied for ThamePo via Pepper and Gam's storyline), but I don't feel like we got a true explanation of why it took them so long to get together. And on top of that, why they even wanted to be together. I'll touch on this a little more when I talk about the characters, but I don't actually know what Thame or Po liked about each other. It felt like they just happened to be the main characters of the show, and so we were just supposed to believe they love each other after they monologue about it enough times. I've noticed that BL, especially GMMTV, has been emphasizing "ship moments" (you know, the cute little physical moments like them bumping into each other and staring into each other's eyes, or holding hands, or really any physical touch they can replay in slow motion five times in a row and also flashback to several more times in later episodes) that can be clipped and posted online for engagement over more complex relationship development. This is deeply annoying to me. I'm all for characters being affectionate with each other, but the show needs to earn it! Characters working through conflict, solving problems together... these are the things that lead to believable relationships. These moments need to be an expression of the love that I already know they have for each other, not used to try to convince me that they love each other (or used for their actual purpose, which is to trend online). Sorry, ThamePo, I don't actually know why you're dating.

CHARACTERS/PERFORMANCES

I think that everyone in this show did the best with what they had! Despite what I just said about ThamePo's relationship, I think WilliamEst had good chemistry and I think they'd have great chemistry in a better show. I just think both Thame and Po's characters were pretty unremarkable. They weren't bad or annoying or anything, they were just boring. I feel like the only things we know about them are what their jobs are and that they like each other. I don't think we get much more about why Thame wants to be an artist, and he doesn't really have any flaws or mess up in any real way that he has to fix. Nothing is actually his fault. It's boring. And Po works as a documentarian and then creative director, but he does not seem invested at all. There is no indication that he loves art or film, he just needs a job. I think there was an attempt at some interesting character development for him, in which he learns to stand up for himself, but it didn't feel fully fleshed out to me. He was largely just a passive character that things happened to, rather than making things happen.

The other LYKN (or MARS) boys seemed to have a far deeper understanding of their characters than the writers did. I thought they were brilliant and used the little moments they had to their fullest extent. Nut was particularly good as Jun, but Lego, Hong, and Tui were impressive, too. I'm glad this show was well-liked because it means we'll hopefully see the LYKN boys in more stuff!

PRODUCTION

The production value was good! It did have BL sound disease but I've accepted that Thai productions have refused to learn what a boom mic is, so whatever. Good cinematography and color grading and solid editing.

MUSIC

I can not, for the life of me, understand why GMMTV made a show starring a boy band, about a boy band, and it's not a musical. They sing like one song until the final episode. There should have been at least one song per episode. The big, climactic song, when MARS takes over the concert and sings about living out their dreams together, comes out of absolutely nowhere and isn't that effective because we don't see them work on it (we should've seen them, earlier in the series, try to write it and fail or have it taken away or something) and we basically haven't heard any of their other music. It's like... you finally have a cast that can actually sing and now suddenly you barely want them to?

CONCLUSION

I think I wrote out a lot more of my criticisms than praises, but I definitely didn't hate this. I think it was a pretty middle-of-the-road show. WilliamEst is a good ship, they'll probably get more shows together, and I hope the LYKN boys are in more series, too. I think that, potentially, some of my frustration with this show is that I haven't really seen anything great from GMMTV lately and I miss their 2021-2023 days. Each year used to have at least a couple 10/10 BLs, but I suspect they're a little too occupied trying to go viral online to make unique, quality art. I'm glad other people seemed to like this more than me!

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