ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Pleasantly grounded idol romance

Immediately the photography of the show really stood out, it's very cinematic and would look good even theaters. The space and breadth within the shots is so nice, it honestly doesn't look like a gmmtv show if I didn't know what channel it's on. The cinematographer also previously worked on F4:Thailand which was also very good. The color grading is on the digital muddy side a bit, but it's not too distracting, because the beautiful photography and lighting makes up for it. The direction, pacing, writing, and acting are generally solid as well. One of the things the show does really well is showing a scene or situation in a certain way and showing a different point of view of what happened later. I also love how they let the romantic moments play out organically, letting the acting and the story carry it in the moment. That's how you respect the audience's intelligence. It's really nice that lead characters actually have a relationship, learning about each other, growing as individuals, learning how to have a relationship.

The story has as grounded of characters as a a romance fantasy can have, but there's still plenty of humorous moments that are drawn organically from the interactions and story, which is how it should be. I really do like Po's journey that he learns that he has no dream and that's okay. That sounds funny, but it's true not everyone needs to have some sort of epic goal, just wanting to live a life with the people you care about is good. His conversation with his tailor shop boss who doesn't have a dream, tailoring is just his job and it's totally fine is so nice to see in a drama. Po's lost puppy face really does give him some cute boy privilege with many people kind of babying him. The job interview panel in the opening gave him good constructive feedback while rejecting him at the same time for his unprofessionalism and bluntness about prioritizing his personal life over film directing work. It's also cute that Po is basically an implied fanboy of Bright Vachirawit who was in F4:Thailand and formerly the Riser labelmate of the real life boyband that is playing the fictional boyband Mars in this drama. Po says he likes the song Good Time and Thame sweetly sings it for him. It's the the ost from Bright's storyline in the anthology drama Good Old Days and he wants to watch Bright's film Love You To Debt which becomes a major part and continuing reference of Po's romantic storyline. I highly recommend the film, it's very bittersweet with romance and a brutal look at cycle of poverty. Po is also privileged in the way that he has a great support system with his mom sending him some spending money, his best friend looking out for job opportunities for him, and his tailor shop boss continuing to give him a flexible part time job along with fantastic advice and time for him to spend with Thame at the shop.

Thame getting furious when he spots Po at the company thinking he's a sasaeng that snuck in is understandable because he is fiercely protective of his bandmates as someone who selflessly looks out for others, especially with the responsibility of band leader. The sasaeng issue is bad in all countries and it's also a real problem with these stalker fans getting jobs at the companies. It was funny that Po didn't think he would have stood out enough for Thame to recognize him just one time, but he was being too cute for Thame not to notice with him thoughtfully picking up a little kid so she could see the band walking out better. Thame trying to get Po to quit opens the door for Po to just to be totally frank and trauma dump his point of view of seeing Thame being just like his ex Earn, being selfish and leaving the band after using them. Thame also starts to open up that he's actually also in a lot of pain which opens Po's eyes that Thame is actually different than what he thought and wants to understand him more, which he asks directly. To anyone it would sound like a romantic request, but Thame hilariously takes things with Po at face value throughout the drama, but thank goodness his observant bandmates help steer him back in the right direction and he immediately take action to rectify the situation. The same with Po getting Thame to realize how he needs to reconnect with his bandmates. Respect to Thame for also knowingly going up on stage for the freestyle rap battle for Dylan who was mad at him and wanted to set him up for humiliation. Thame actually did very well for even getting as far as he did in the rap battle. Freestyle rap is a totally different skill from written, a lot of rappers do not and cannot do freestyle.

Po and Thame staying up all night talking to each other, Thame even staying on the line until Po woke up and sings to him is so cute. The scene captures new love so well. It's funny how Thame is one step behind his feelings, his actions are already all in, he just doesn't understand the context to what he's even doing, but it's great that he has people around him to clue him into himself and he immediately owns up to it and takes action. Pepper pointing out to Thame that this is romantic to Thame and Thame going to Po right away to find out via the proximity and the touch test of his feelings is funny and sweet. The whole band pointing out the Thame that he totally missed out on the atmosphere of physical intimacy time when he and Po went back to the apartment and he also corrects that as soon as possible too is also funny and spicy. I really like how he encourages Po to just walk on his own pace and let Thame adjust to him rather than the other way around. An issue that in asian dramas in general, is that the writing uses shows really toxic behavior with the use of jealousy for humor, but I think this drama struck the right tone without it going overboard. It's pretty funny how Thame really just stood there and watched Po pack up all of Earn's clothes. Thame also read my mind and sharpied over the Earn cup, which I had been thinking Po could have done in the first ep when the cups first appeared. I appreciate that the kiss scenes, which are extremely hit and miss in the asian drama world in general regardless of the sexualities of the characters, look normal. It's a surprisingly hard bar to clear for some actors and directors before they can even begin to convey the feelings of the characters in the scene. I love that Po and Thame act like that adults that they are without being juvenile about wanting physical connection nor the scenes being over done.

Pepper rejoined Thame really quickly, so his storyline is revealed later to be that he has also been dating. His girlfriend Gam is a very pretty staff Oner staff member that Jun also flirted with. Jun keeps accidentally flirting with his bandmate's significant others. The actor who plays Jun looks like a twin of Bilkin, they can totally play brothers. Jun is a fun chaos demon of a character. He's the sharp on the uptick, seeing through Thame's self sacrifice with th eslave contract to pay off the group's debts, and wanting Thame to succeed rather than be held back by the group. Jun may be a flirt master 3000, but he's got the romance too, it's sweet how he does Po's subtitling edit work so Po can focus on their music video work, bringing him to a cool speak easy style spot to work, and serenading him. It's so nice how he immediately backs off once Thame confirms that he really does like Po because he knows that Po already likes Thame. No petty drama, he just goes back to being a great friend to them both. The show via Nano flirts with pairing Jun and the prickly Dylan, but it doesn't happen. They don't have the vibe for it, so it's fine. Their Oner boss is the main antagonist, but since this show is a vehicle for promoting gmmtv's own boyband, it's really funny that it may the reason that they actually make her be a more three dimensional person that a straight up villain. She has a vision to expand T-Pop and she pulls her punches at the end when she allows them to keep their band name.

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My heart skip a beat in ways I didn’t expect.

I finally get it now why so many people have fallen head over heels for this series and even ranked it as their top BL of 2024. At first, I honestly didn’t see the hype, especially with some reviews that seemed a little too over-proud of it. As time went by, I have to admit, this show really does feel different from other GMMTV productions. When I started watching, I had zero expectations. In fact, during the first three episodes I was convinced I would drop it and never look back. But then I realized something, Est’s acting completely pulled me in. He gave such a layered, emotional performance that I couldn’t stop watching until the very end. Considering he’s mostly been in supporting roles before, seeing him shine in the lead felt long overdue and incredibly rewarding. This series proves he has what it takes to carry a story on his shoulders, and I really hope this is just the start of more main roles for him.

Of course, no series is perfect, and this one has its ups and downs. For me, the weakest point was the breakup arc. It didn’t land emotionally the way I think it was meant to, it felt undercooked, and I never really bought into the pain of it. Both couples in the show struggled to make that moment hit hard, and it kind of took me out of the story for a bit. On the flip side, I loved the way music and performance were woven into the narrative. The songs might not be as catchy as Demon Hunter (still stuck in my head, by the way 😅), but the dancing blew me away. For a TV series, the choreography was seriously impressive. You could tell the cast put in a lot of practice, and it paid off because those stage scenes felt authentic, not just filler.

What really sets this series apart for me is its balance. It’s not just another “idol romance” drama, it takes the usual formula and grounds it in something more human. The way it explored the struggles of fame, favoritism within groups, and the toll of public scrutiny gave it an emotional depth I wasn’t expecting. At the same time, it never lost its softer, romantic core. Thame and Po’s relationship, though not perfect, had a natural build-up that made their small moments together feel genuine. Their connection didn’t need flashy grand gestures and it thrived in quiet, thoughtful interactions that felt real.

So, in conclusion, I understand why fans love it so much. It manages to balance entertainment with sincerity, giving us a story that feels refreshing in the BL landscape. For me, Est’s breakout performance is the highlight, the dancing sequences are a fun bonus, and even with a breakup arc that missed the mark, this series is still worth the watch. Maybe it’s not reinventing the wheel, but it definitely made my heart skip a beat in ways I didn’t expect.

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More than just a series

This is not just a series. 'Thamepo' is a message to all the fans out there that idols and celebrities, no matter what they work in, have their own lives and matters, and fans shouldn't interfere in 'em.

For me, the story was the best. It was meaningful yet something new.

Cast: Maybe it's just me thing, I didn't like WilliamEst's pairing at first, but to the end of the series I think their acting made it better than the actual actors, if that makes any sense.

Acting: two people from two different two backgrounds. William as a lead wasn't in my bingo. I've followed LYKN for pretty long and the group never fails to amaze me. I never expected William to star in a BL. He is amazing and he once again proved that he's the best by showing his perfect acting skills.
Est as Po, it was crazy. starring HIM in a BL? he's the top-looking bottom. He's so cute but at the same time big. the fact that he is a national swimmer still amazes me. But yeah the on-screen and off-screen chemistry is chemistrying hah

THE OST!? awesome.

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Funny idol drama

Yes I rated this drama a 6, come fight me /joking but seriously this drama did not live up to my expectations and it's been a while since I watched this, but I can't believe I didnt write a review at the time!!! Anyways, that tells me that 1) I didn't care enough about the drama (not a good sign in general) 2) I must've been busy?
Anyways, I dont remember much about this drama because in the end it just wasn't that memorable (just like MARS' music lol)

So the things I liked and why you should watch it:
I love lovedddd the cast. This is William and LYNKN first drama and they were honestly doing a pretty good job! A huge shoutout to my man Jun aka Nut. He was so excellent it's ridiculous that he had such a small role in "My magic prophecy" (GO WATCH THAT ONE :) JIMMYSEA MY BELOVED <3 ).
I would absolutely watch more stuff with Nut in it, he seriously has some great potential :)
Of course WilliamEst also had some great chemistry :)

The mainstory: not very memorable, sometimes pacing was off and just not representative for how Thai entertainment industry works (don't shoot me if I'm wrong tho lol) ? A lot of it felt more like a Kpop company that got lost in Thailand and then lost in TV adaptation. And the ending was so unsatisfactory, it was a real anticlimax for me. There was some thought put into some of the romance and some of the friendships, and some of the obstacles and so on, but it just didn't reach its full potential.

Music: it was so-so, it really wasn't that memorable as well for a series that's focussed on a boyband so that's kind of a letdown.

All in all, the series in hindsight is just a little too boring and doesn't bring something refreshing to the Idol drama scene except for debuting some amazing hidden acting gems like Nut :)

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I want, I want, I want, I want to break freeeeeee

This was such a good watch! I can’t believe I have been putting this show off for so long. It was fantastic!

Acting:

The casting was so good in this show, everyone was right for their role. It’s my first time seeing most of these actors’ performances and I was very impressed throughout. Est is so beautiful and boy can cry pretty which I LIVE for. William was such a good misunderstood sad boy frontman. The supporting cast was all amazing. Honestly, couldn’t ask for much more.

Writing:

This was far more realistic than I had expected. They didn’t go the “we can beat to odds through it all together” route in the way I expected. Like, there were no outrageous grand gestures that turned the story into a DRAMA drama, ya know. It was surprisingly refreshing because I usually prefer the over-the-top, unrealistic drama bs. But I liked that they stuck to reality more. This was well written from start to finish. I only wish there were more.

Chemistry/Romance/Kissing:

The chemistry was lovely between these two. I was giggling and frowning with them accordingly. I loved this as a romance. The idol x crew member is always fun and I like that they didn’t focus the story on that dynamic like many other stories do. The kissing was perfect, they did such a good job with it. Love a good smooch or three.

Music/SFX:

Music was pretty solid. I liked all the songs that MARS performed, but I didn’t love the other corny love songs they picked for important moments as much. SFX were solid, nothing to really note there.

This was sooooo fun to watch. I’m so glad I got around to seeing it!

Now, for some highlights from my notes:

- Bro is beautiful
- LEGOOOOOO
- Drake looks so cuuute
- Give baby the sandwichhhh
- Oh my GOD they are CUTE
- Bros for life frrrrr
- An angsty little guy, this Dylan
- Thame such a gem, my looove
- 9.5-hour phone call from dusk till dawn EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
- I’m giggling this is PRECIOUS
- Our ultra-capable little maknae
- THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
- So Thame is a dumbass
- I knew something had to be up with Serrano
- Can we voice our feelings already, boy
- AHHHHHHH they are so cuuuuuuuutttttttteeee
- Jun would get a swift kick if he were my friend
- Bro thinks he’s smooth
- LEAVE HIM ALONE JESUS CHRIST WHAT IS YOUR DAMAGE
- AHHHHHH JUST SAY IT I’M GONNA SNAP
- AHHHH THEY SUCK
- There’s gonna be a wild misunderstanding here lmao
- Nahh cause I would spiral 100% if someone did that to me on our first evening together
- Oh the domesticity of it all
- Fern pissing me off. You are a grown ass adult, act like one
- Sad boy hours fr
- *But everything means nothing if I ain't got you, you, you*
- Est is such a good and pretty crier
- That concert was lowkey kinda fire tho
- Yay happy boys and girls all around

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A different BL from GMM

I have never seen a Thai BL like this before. I am not into cute fluff so I was hesitating to watch it at first.
The drama was so hyped for the fluff part however for me what sold the story for me is how they portrayed the idol life. We need more dramas like this. I was fairly interested in the couple but not because of the romantic scenes but because I wanted to see how they overcome the tough situation. I really love how the story ends everything in a positive note. Sometimes we really need to show things in a positive light for people to understand how it is if you become positive about something. I liked how at the end Baifern truly realized how fan and idol relationship should be. The story was realistic enough.
I wasn't expecting LYKN to be this good actors. It didn't felt stuck up at all. Est did a very good job. William is so young yet he truly showed his skills. The drama is not overhyped, rather I urge every fan to watch this so we can see how things actually are for an idol.

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Thame is the standard

The whole plot was really nicely executed. I really love how thame was a total green flag. But also hated cause he went through lots of heartache.

About the characters ,Po,He was just like any normal person would be . Just got broke up , broken hearted he was living like rock with no ambition. But he didn't gave up. The awestruck he was with thame and the tension they had ..Damn !! Chemistry was chemisorbing . I love the fact he did everything he could for thame to get back to his team. But the break up part was unnecessary I believe. Like BRO ..YOU DID EVERYTHING FOR HIM AND NOW BACKING OFF HURTING HIM,,YOU CAN EASILY RESOLVE IT!!bUT JUN my boyyy!!he wasss ummahh!! the way he care for po with his nonsense and the charisma he has ..like Damn smoothhh!

As for the plot it really showed how idol industry works . The cruelty of being idols, the effect of some obsessive fans and how they become so happy if their idol has no personal life !! It hurts to see that. The plot was nice and never boring !

ThamePo is the standard of love for me. The acting of William on his first series was never less to amuse me . The green flags they are !!they deserve the worldd T-T

I will rewatch the series forever !Its my home <3

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ThamePo: My new favorite obsession

I'm totally hooked on 'ThamePo'! Nine episodes in, and I'm already emotionally invested. What I love about this show is that it breaks away from the usual BL genre clichés. At first, I thought it was a slow starter, but the characters' depth and maturity quickly won me over.

The way the show explores relationships and the chemistry between Thame and Po is seriously captivating. The actors are killing it, too. That last episode? Wow. Thame's jealousy was ridiculously cute. And I appreciate how Po gets that their relationship is complicated because of Thame's art career.

I'm dying to see what's next in episode 10, even though I'm pretty sure it's going to wreck me. Still, I'm rooting for Thame and Po to overcome whatever comes their way. Highly recommend!

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