ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

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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When a simple plot and an healthy and relatable relationship is all it takes.

This is only my second time writing a review, the majority of the time i might like a show but never to the extent to feel an attachment to the characters or the show itself. Well ThamePo is definitely an exception. I knew the show was going to be good since the very first mock trailer, but the final result is beyond my wildest expectations.
I don't want to write a whole essay listing all the reasons why i think this is probably the best bl GMMTV has ever released, so i'll keep it short just talking about the characters and the plot.

CHARACTERS
Ok, so to begin with i want to call the Oscars and the Emmys for my man Est because i was speechless for his acting; wigs? Snatched. I'm not a crier but his performance was actually mind blowing and it resonated with me so much that tears were flowing down every time he cried too. I loved everything about Po's character, was he perfect No. And that's why i loved him so much. It's obvious he's a good person with a huge heart, and all those feeling were sometimes so overbearing that it was painful to watch. I love the character development, i love that he remained true to himself and hasn't changed in his goodness just because of what happened to him, and i love how Thame turned out to be the perfect match to give a stability to his life.
Speaking of Thame, what can i say? From what we have seen he's truly the perfect boyfriend, the one we all dream of and wish to meet irl. I loved the softness he had when he was with Po, i loved his attentiveness and the care he had regarding every aspect of Po's life. He is just too good to be real, and William did a very good job with it (i admit that Est was a stronger actor, but it was William first acting job so it was still remarkable and impressive).
The chemistry between William and Est is INSANE. Like i've never been one of those fan who gets obsessed with fake couples, until now. I love them, they are perfect, give me another show with them like now!

PLOT
Simple, straighforward, no unneccesary drama, every scene had its purpose, no filler episodes, no filler chracters or boring second couples without any development. I admit there were one or two things i would have made differently, especially in the last 2 episodes, but overall the ending was solid and heartwarming. No beach scene or forced break ups without any reason in a gmmtv show? Already outstanding. I can not recomment this show enough.

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A must watch slow burn series with actual romance

I've not been hooked with a series like ThamePo for quite long. This show is smthg, out of all companies I never expected GMMTV to produce such a show. Though There are things I may not have liked , like the way they wasted two eps on Jun Po. But I still had a great time watching the show.

There were no cringey moment at all (that's what I felt), no wierd jokes, and had real romance, that a lot of present shows lack.
Overall I really enjoyed it. This show is one of few shows I keep going back for watching.
Really worth the time and patience.
Highly recommend.

I have to mention the last ep. It was the cutest out of all eps in my opinion.
Po is very pretty and cute(played by Est Supha) and Thame is very handsome too (played by William Jakrapatr).

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GMMTV new starting point (with its good and its flaws)

I have only one thing to say: finally! Looking at their latest work (basically 90% of the series in the 2024 lineup that are out) I was so afraid that this would have been another bad series, with bad writing, bad timing, bad actors, bad execution (u name it) but they actually worked, pretty well. And it really made me even more exited for next year series (who all seem way more promising than anything proposed last year)

Now, I want to give a small disclamer: I don't think that this series it's perfect. It has some flaws (some bigger than other) but it was such a good series for me that I was able to overlook them (and for me to do so, u know ur doing a good job).
And as I said, I hope this is just a new beginning for GMMTV, to start taking notes from their own work (like they should have done back in the days with Bad Buddy) and improve from here on, so that the flaws of this series will not appear anymore.

The plot it's very very simple, but it still works very well. We got a group, medium popularity, on the brick of disbandment because one of their member, Thame, have to leave for South Korea. Po starts working on the disbandment/Farewell documentary that is going to be shown at their last show and by doing so he get to know the member of the group, specifically Thame, with whom he falls in love. And from here on we see the development of their story. And it's honestly so cute, like a geniunly good love story. Now, before anybody says anything (cause I saw the most out of pocket critique for this show) this is a SLOW BURN. It's supposed to be slow, to create a long buildup for the character to get together. It makes u frustrated and in an endless wait, but it's a GENRE. It's not "slow pacing" it's not "it took them too long". It's literally how it's supposed to work. And I geniunly love slowburn so much because they actually take time to characterize and build the relationship between the two lead instead of like "oh let's fck/ ok/ ily/ ily2" or the worst "u helped me carring books once/now i love you" Damn those are so unrealistic, so that's the main reason I love love love slowburn. U can feel and understand why Thame and Po fell in love with eachother.

The writing, especially the dialogues among characters were so cute and funny and natural (which is another thing that is almost completely missing in some older bl). I do get and I completely agree that the silences while they were talking were a little too much and a little too long. But either way, when they spoke they seemed like actual person speaking, not like Shakespearean character from 1600. Especially Po with his "uhm?" was so ME CODED. Thanks god someone who speak like an actual human being. And ofc, the dialogues between Nano, Dylan and Jun were the funniest. I loved Mars (and I love LYNK) so kudos to that as well.
ALSO the sentence "aren't u tired? Mhm?" in the history book of saddest bl quotes cause damn?!?
And talking about it, another thing (which I think I was the only one that really loved it) is the fact that Po's mever said "ily" back to Thame. It might feel like it's bad, but Po's always showed his love for Thame in literally EVERYTHING HE DID. They were the literal description of "Words of affirmation (Thame) & Act of service (Po)". It's amazing how they were able to showcase both type of love (and if I had to go through a traumatic love experience like Po's one with Earn I would find saying ILY pretty difficult as well but)
And how their relationship progressed? oh good aaaaaa!! They weren't the typical didascalic couple "ily/ily/let's be tght/ok". They were holding hands, kissing, having this type of mutual strong crush on one another.. everything develoed really naturally but idk, the way it was all made was just so realistic, at least for my experience. I was feeling called out by them


One thing I wasn't really the fondest about was the "attempt" (? Idk how to call it??) of a love triangle in the middle section of the show. Completely unnecessary. Or better, they could have kept literally EVERYTHING, without including that Jun developed romantic feelings. It was completely non relevant, and honestly useless. I think they could have been best friends, like when Jun and Thame clarified Jun could have told him something like "oh but I dont like him, he is an annoying man, he is my bestfriend" or Smith like that. But I moved on pretty quickly (exactly like Jun did?!?!?)

The acting was good. Est is a good actor and Thame was on pair (taking into account that it was his first acting gig, and he was playing the protagonist). I especially loved their kissing scenes, natural and very intimate (lately I've found myself thanking God every single time two bl actors kiss like normal people and not mannequins) The rest of the LYNK member did pretty well (Lego u have a future in the acting industry, just so u know).
And the character they were playing were pretty itnresting and fun. Everyone had their own characterization (which made them very funny to look at) and I've liked majority of them. I've especially liked Po's charcter. FINALLY A NON CANONIC BL PROTAGONIST. finally someone who knows what's going on around him, that is actually capable of thinking by himself, that is reasonable and takes his own decision. And I loved the whole "having a dream" concept at the end. It felt very personal. It was a breath of fresh air having a character that was not chasing a dream, but was OK with normality, with simplicity, with an easy life. He took a bold decision and he doesn't regret it. I really loved and connected with him, he is just that guy. Especially counting that he was persuing his dream mainly to get back to his ex.

One thing that I didn't like, the only big flaw of the series, was the sudden and not even explained redemption of the CEO at the last episode. Not needed. But I mean, if u have a character that is basically the embodiment of GMMTV wrong doings ofc ur going to glorify her at the end. It was frustrating because for once they were actually able to handle correctly the whole "being famous/having a private life", by showcasing all sides, what the idol and the partner have to go though in a very realistic way. The way hate got to Gam, the way she felt like an impediment (both her and Po). The way fan felt and regretted how they acted (baifern best character, literally my girl). U did a good job, and u have to overshadow it with ur "oh but the Villain of the series was actually good" becaude u the company font want to pass as the villain. Ridiculous.

Aesthetic/visual wise I feel very conflicted. On one hand this series gave us some extremely good scene (the kiss in ep 13, on stage, the hug behind the stage in one of the previous ep, and the bus scene in ep 6 i think and oh the arcade). But in general it wasn't really a masterpiece of visuals. It played a LOT on soft colors, like so freaking much. Specially among very light colors (Po's palette) and very dark colors (Thame's palette). We could spend ages talking about it but whatever. Not my favoruite coloring to be fair, but still looked pretty good. The guys had a very specific styling which is always a thing that I like but they had like three outfit each which okkkkk cheap kings I seeee (they kept all the budget for the ending concert).

Music was OK. I mean, it was like mainly the group music, so yeah it wasn't bad. And, ehm, I did find the LARGE use of kpop terminology (pak, maknae ?!?) pretty cringe at times but then again I remember thay this show is based on a novel (that I honestly didn't read) but I would be surprised if the inspo for the original was a Kpop group, which justified the terminology. Whatever, it was such a big part of the show (especially the PAK part), so ofc they wouldn't be able to change it without having to re-write some major part of the story.

So, this is a very good series. It has its pros and cons, it's slower, it keeps u waiting and wanting for more. Longing for more. The character are realistic and ull bond with them in no time. They had some genius move in the show (especially publicity wise) so the cringe is WAY LESS than a lot of other series I saw. If u want something that makes u think while enjoying a lighthearted romance than this is your place.

Ps. Some of yall moved the most nonsensical critiques towards this show. Yeah, William (as much as Thame) is an adult. Yeah, adults kiss each other. There is absolutely nothing scandalous in them kissing (or the hint of a NC scenes they had, which was the cutest one I've ever seen). If yall haven't kissed anybody in 19 years it's not the show problem; and it's not morally wrong to have sex at 19 (always protected and consensual ofc, feel like i need to leave it there) I rest my case.

Pps. Whoever chose the name of the episodes, u have my whole earth, absolute cinema

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This was such a pleasant surprise!

Before I start rambling and gushing I would like to ask you something.
Have you ever settled down with a new series, and this electric buzz starts building up in your body with each episode because, on some subconscious level, you know you're already too emotionally invested in the characters?
It Happened To Me! With this series.
OK Let's do this.
I was instantly charmed by both the main and secondary characters, and there were so many things I loved about this show. I really enjoyed how each character had full lives outside of the main romance, with their own conflicts, dreams and wishes. I loved the music, the dancing and the friendship.

I smiled the entire way through, got teary-eyed, and laughed so much at how cute the pair of them were at times.
Sometimes, I even cried along with the characters. Is it normal to cry over fictional characters not existing? No. Am I ashamed? No.
Yes, it had some moments where I wanted to shake an character or two. But overall, this one brought the relationship angst that I am always looking for. There were so many emotions—happiness, joy, sadness, jealousy, and hope. Emotions are such wonderful things. This series has it all.

It takes Thame and Po a long time to get to their happy ending, but the way things developed between them worked for me and I enjoyed the journey. Their connection, conversations and inside jokes (even the separation) made them feel so real and very relatable.
I could go on for hours about how Thame is such an amazing character who is kind and so very present on stage, but also soft, and in need of a hug. I could go on about how Po seems uptight, sad and boring but is actually dealing with trauma and hurt and pain. I want to share how much I adore Mars with all my heart and how they made me scream and scream.

I could go on and on about this show but really all you need to know is how bloody fantastic it is.

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cute and endearingly awkward. i wanted more tho.

it was cute. nothing groundbreaking, less corny and cringe than the other thai BLs i've seen but don't get me wrong, it's still there. it's ~endearingly~ corny still at times for sure lol. i do like that we got a little development here with the romance at least before they got together. i would have loved for the plot to be better than that for sure and the characters to have more personality or depth especially est's character, po. also because it started so strong. but the on-screen chemistry between est and william was really good. i think they're adorable. my favorite part was the quiet, mundane scenes between po and thame. the romance was peaking when they just talk over the phone or whenever they walk home together and never wanted that walk to end aaah.

i think it's very interesting that these characters are an actual boy group and after this, william is indeed going to get more attention. let's just hope what happened here won't happen to them lol kidding aside, as much as i loved seeing the team dynamics and the bond between the boys, i would have loved if they dig deeper with the issues of idol life. i thought it was all surface level. giving the character fern, the admin of their fanpage, an arc is good i guess. of course, i did not like her reaction when she found out about pepper's love life and it's annoying that their idol had to suffer first before realizing "lol oh wow he's human too. just like me" BUT I KNOW THAT'S THE POINT LOL these kind of fans exist in real life and they're even worse so!! when it comes to po's character, i just wanted more you know? more personality and more passion on being a creative. i never really believed he liked directing and that he's filming a documentary. but why am i asking for realism in thai BLs lol

when it comes to acting, i would use "endearing" again, they are all endearingly awkward at times but overall, i'll buy it especially william's actually which surprised me. the other members of lykn are charming as well. (didn't like the part where nano was being a shipper tho. that's just too much for me. make it stop lmao) i gotta say i was so confused tho that they kept using korean idol industry terms like sasaeng. are they really using that or just the translation? either way, that's weird.

honestly, i don't like that the thai BL industry fell into the "love team" culture as well because i would love to see these actors work well with other people too but hey, i think gmmtv did good pairing william and est.

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As being in a warm blanket while sipping a cup of tea or a sweet chocolate

This series is not really new (what I mean is, as a fan we know the possible issues that an Idol can encounters) but it was needed every friday night (for me), it has a great and a chill vibes throughout each episodes.

I enjoyed every bit of it, the choice of the songs (opening song sung by one of the member, Tui Chayatorn) brings some heartwarming feels and a magical vibes to it.

Interesting choice of the color grading for the cinematography, I don't know why, at the begining it left me somehow, dumbfounded but after episode by episode I got used to it and at the end, I gradually appreciated it.

I just loved everything, the story about the members of MARS and also the romance between Thame and Po was just really beautiful to watch and nicely done, it was the right tempo (lol).

I may be biaised because I've already known the group, LYKN which I'm already a fan since I've listent to "No worries" and they are so endearing and so talented. So, it was a must-watch, not only to see them in a series but also with a new ship, "WilliamEst".

I ddin't really follow the journey of "WilliamEst", my bad but what I want to say is that "ThamePo" is a really, really cute couple with a good communication, I enjoyed their interactions from the begining to the end, it was my happy pill to witness the development of their relationship. I think, it's one of my favorite couple.

To me, "ThamePo heart that skips a beat" delivers well in terms of relationships and issues in the entertainment industry while being a nice BL story.

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sugoi

it is i, the niel.

this is free on youtube dot com. wow, it's just good. first of all, the acting was incredibly solid. for it being wiliam's first time in an acting role (a lead, at that), he delivered. the chemistry between the main couple was palpable. the show only focuses on one couple, but they do also focus on the supporting characters enough for us to care about their well-beings. audiences were able to uncover why the group was initially in shambles like a scooby-doo mystery. instead of splitting time between two or three couples, we got one couple and then actual time devoted to having solid secondary character development, which makes all of these characters likable and human.

in a lot of ways, there are two relationships that we, as an audience, are focusing on. there are thame and po as well as the group as a whole. it is rare that a bl gives time and care to non-romantic relationships, which made the show a comforting and easy watch, generally building a more complete story. by the end of the show, i wasn't just rooting for thame and po, i was rooting for all of the characters to do well and to achieve their dreams. the message behind the story was simple, yet necessary for a lot of bl/idol music fans in an industry that treats people as if they are accessible to the general public, commodifying artists and performers. i think that that was especially well-translated with pepper's relationship.

i also thought it was refreshing that this was an original story and you can clearly tell that this was written with these actors in mind to play to their strong suits, which really helped sell the show to me. i also appreciate that in all of the romantic relationships present, any of the characters could have continued on with their lives without their designated partner. this was especially evident when there was conflict in the relationship, displaying resiliency and growth by both thame and po. additionally, there wasn't unhealthy codependency that is oftentimes seen in bls (just the cutesy early relationship butterflies that appears slightly obsessive).

i think it is important to note that this isn't just good for a bl. thamepo is good as a show in general and could stand alone by itself outside of the bl "genre". part of what really appealed about the whole thing to me was that there was no real "playing it cool" or acting coy. both thame and po were upfront with how they felt about one another (once those feelings were realized). i think a lot of shows pad out the run-time with really unnecessary "ooh are they going to get together" storylines fueled by a lack of communication. thamepo did not do that because they had enough actual plot that they did not need to drag out unnecessary relationship drama. it was refreshing to watch a bl where, in many ways, the romance is central, but not the main driving plot of the story.

for gmmtv, the production value was there. it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill mid type show that gmmtv oftentimes puts out to fans for the sake of making a quick buck. the budget was present and they used it well. the lighting was pleasant, the audio was normal, the sets were high quality, and the styling suited each character. the dialogue was never cringey, and it was individualized to a point where you could distinctly tell which character was delivering their lines. it seems like every year, gmmtv picks a couple of shows to actually give resources to be a high-quality production. this was one of those shows and i'm glad it was.

woohoo!!! :D

best,

the niel.

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Best Dialogue and Rational Plot lines thus far after KinnPorsche

OKAY what the FREAKY. I made an account just to make this review because this drama is just THAT GOOD.

Honestly, I went in blind and without expectations because GMMTV BL series are usually a tiny bit cringe for me. Oftentimes, Thai BL has irrational dialogue and unreasonable plot lines that just make the series completely unwatchable. For example, The Heart Killers. YES, I know it has quite a high rating on mydramalist and that everyone raves about it but it just was not quite for me. The storyline is a little illogical, one example being that one of the MCs, Bison, being a hitman, still decides to trust and love another MC, Kant, on "first sight". Also, some of the dialogue and scenes MUST be skipped or at least fast forwarded for me, like Fadel dancing, Fadel tying up Style against a swimming pool, etc.

But I digress.

The plotline of this drama was so mature and logical. The director brings out reasonable character development out of Thame in just the first episode. The dialogues between Po and Thame? Just chefs kiss. No cringe scenes YET, no insensible plots YET. I am seeing great potential for this drama. I hope it lives up to my expectations that has skyrocketed since the first episode.

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Great cast makes the most of an okay story

After taking a year long break from watching Thai BLs due to what I felt was a drop in overall quality across the industry, ThamePo gave me something that seemed to want to be more than just cute boys doing cute things. There are inklings of many criticisms of the entertainment industry but it feels like the writers never really take a full bite of any of the issues that come up. Characters within the series seem to lack motivation and agency which makes some events that unfold unbelievable, though not to the point of being unlikable. That said, I did thoroughly enjoy my time with this series. It was a very fun watch that did manage to surprise me at least once.

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Things I enjoyed:

-Jun. It felt like he pushed the narrative forward more than other characters in the series. I wish that they had given more in the story.
-The main character dynamic, they're just two good boys
-Communication. The main characters are quick and straightforward to correct things they feel might be misunderstood by one another and unlike many dramas the conflict doesn't feel like a simple issue of miscommunication.
-The phone call, gave me a chance to see how earnest of a person Thame was.
-The letter. Great and helped to re-frame a scene that had happened before.
-Air Hockey.

Things that I didn't enjoy:

-Many things in the story seem to simply happen and at times feel unearned.
-Baifern being used as a proxy for toxic fans, I think there was more opportunity to grow her character in a meaningful way.
-I wish we had heard more music.

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While this series at times stumbles it was nonetheless enjoyable. There is a lot here for people to relate to in the way that each of the characters seem to be working toward their goals. While it didn't fully dig into the entertainment industry in a way I would've liked it is interesting to have touched on so many of the ways in which an idol is perceived. Amidst all of the idol/entertainment talk it also feels grounded by Po who both starts as a non-fan and is cemented as someone who is perceived as easily replaceable, so much so that he can't land a full-time job on his own merits. In its own way ThamePo is a series that highlights the differences in our perception of ourselves and the way others may view us.

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