Watch if you like questioning your own morals
It’s been a while since I’ve been this invested in a series and the weird thing is I don’t even know what exactly I think of it.I love hated almost every minute of this. Story was new and entertaining. The actors were absolutely brilliant. I don’t think I was a big Up fan before but I am now. This man made me love hate him (his character) the way only Damon Salvatore has managed to before…
Not much to say honestly… watch it if you enjoy: what, wtf, why is this happening, what is happening, arrgggghh and naked backs.
The ending was a bit too “happy end” imo, but that didn’t take away much from the whole thing so I still enjoyed watching. And I don’t remember the last time I wanted to rewatch something right after finishing it…but I do kind of want to do exactly that.
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Another take on the Dark/Toxic romance BL genre
Ming is Extremely toxic at the beginning of the drama which is difficult to watch as you know the main leads will end up together anyway. Despite this and the fact he uses Joe for his own benefit and claims ownership over joe instead of loving him as a person. Somehow the Drama manages to turn this all around by the end part and show us people can can make mistakes, even toxic ones that have serious consequences and still be able to turn things around. I am not going to defend Ming, he is a strange individual with many privileges that allow him to get what he wants but still is able to come across as sexy and complicated, leaving you wanting to understand him.Joe is such a sweetheart and experiences many unfortunate events but just wants to be loved, look after his mother and maintain a stable career and relationship. He has a heart of gold and luckily is able to break into Ming's cold exterior.
The show is exciting and thrilling to watch nonetheless. Both lead actors are brilliant in their roles, showing maturity, complex emotions and believable romance scenes. I will defiantly watch both actors in other dramas.
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Damn. I've not watched a series quite like this since only friends and Kinnporsche. It definitely had us on a rollercoster from day one. Ming that everyone agrees is toxic whether from his background being rich so always gets want he wants but this time he doesn't as he gets the next best from. I don't believe he truly loved Joe at all as when Tong says jump he says how high, he is in love with Tong
Unfortunately, Joe fell for the wrong person and didn't get the support he needed as no one made it clear how toxic their relationship was toxic and how to get out. He was sexually and emotionally abused constantly.
I generally quite liked Sol but at times he was being extra when given the second chance.
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I just want to rant
MING!!!!!!!!!!!!!this particular character in my stand in had me clutching my pearls from the sheer audacity he possessed.
And regardless of what everyone including myself might think JOE DIDN'T WANT TO BE SAVED, period.
He was down bad for a vain self-important peacock like ming and that alone is evidence of his lack of self-preservation.
And in my opinion the "redemption " arc was so half-baked i never got over mings attitude.
Ps: why does joe sneeze while doing the boombaya and why in the ever loving hell does ming use that as proof that the person in the other joe's body is the joe, he ABANDONED.
In conclusion i loved and despised ming in equal measure.
Ps: the actor that played joe is so pretty, im obsessed .
PRETTY CRIER FINAL BOSS fr.
Please watch my stand in and join the ming hate club.
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AMAZING
Waahhh, I loved this series. Up and Poom did an AMAZING job. The jumpscare of the other Joe each time tho... Anyway, I loved it! I guess sometimes it went a bit fast, but that did not take away from the fun factor. And oooo the NC scens, /cheff's kiss/. Interesting plot, amazing acting. Ming went from a big big big red flag to a yellow flag to a greenish flag. Tho he still got stuff to prove! Don't let my boy Joe down!Ps. Sometimes Poom's veneers were distracting hahah but gosh he's so handsome! I hope Up never gets rid of his bunny teeth tho.
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Firstly, I see a lot of hate for Ming, however as someone who enjoys toxicity in shows being done well, I enjoyed his character development and that he actually did truly bad, selfish things that would make the viewers uncomfortable but wanted to repent for his evil acts without doing a complete 180 in to a pure, unrecognisable personality. Although there were some plot gaps, Tong and Ming's family's being a caricature of a villain, characters being forgiven too easily and Joe making some questionnable decisions, the whole show captivated me from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the love that the old Joe received from everyone around him and earned after coming back in another body just by being himself and a good, but still flawed person. Poom did such an amazing job acting, I felt his every emotion, as well as his chemistry with Up. I kind of just wished to know a little bit more about the life of the Joe whose body was taken over by our Joe. Did his soul die? Did he go into another body? What was his life like as a model? Apart from Tharn, were there other people in his life that missed him?
I think the story and the whole production of this is worth watching if you want to immerse yourself into something less light hearted. Or just watch it for Poom, that's good too.
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Plot line makes me stick through ups and downs of My Stand-In
This series hasn't come out entirely as such I'll updating my review once all 12 episodes are out. I've watched it till Episode 6 and the plot is honestly interesting but the acting skills of most of the characters make it an average.I love Poom, he is doing great. His mannerism as a stunt man gives the story a lot of dimension cause otherwise it's a shitshow in my opinion seeing as the other characters have no originality. Up and the dude playing Tong are the most annoying beings, demons if I may, in this fantasy world. May is clueless. Wut is great supporting character, love that for Joe. Let's see where it goes from here.
I do like the plot. Not gonna lie, it's peaked my interest to see how the new Joe deals with life with having the insight of people in his life from before the accident. I want him not to fall for the crap again. I want him to be successful. And though the "ship" crap is gonna go on forever, if the dude is toxic, he is toxic, I don't wanna hear nothing.
The nice guy needs to pull up his big boy pants and move on. But this is a work of fiction, and not real life so of course there are going to be people shipping Joe and Ming. But I'm completely against Joe ending up with Ming (Up) or Sol (Porche) for that matter.
Ming deserves the hot and cold behaviour Tong shows him. I have no sympathy for his a$$.
⚠️ Side Note: The way Poom says Minggg with that loving and elongated baby tone, I'm sitting over here listening to everything he says with a "Yes, Sir" attitude cause who wouldn't. The love just seeps out of him and damn, my name ain't Ming but I'm ready Poom. I'm ready.
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What is reincarnation? According to its definition, reincarnation is the belief that the individual essence of people begins a new life in a different body or physical form after biological death. That is, it is the belief that, after dying, each of us will begin a new life in a new body.
Of course, in both film and television, this idea, this belief, has been explored from all angles: horror, comedy, suspense and also romance.
When we talk about reincarnation, this possibility of living a new life in a new body after death, is presented to the stuntman named Joe (Poom Phuripan Sapsangsawat - 'Bake Me Please', 2023; 'Saneha Stories Season 4: Saiyai Saneha', 2022), who, after a fatal accident, in a trick of fate, suddenly comes back to life but in the body of another person of the same name who had suffered an accident on the same day.
The LGBT+ themed romantic drama 'My Stand-In' (ตัวนาย ตัวแทน/Tua Nai Tua Thaen) revolves around Joe's new life after his reincarnation. When he wakes up, Joe finds himself immersed in what seems to be the same world he has just left, with the same people around him and the same destiny as before, since both his professional career and personal life remain identical: he is the substitute by the young and famous actor Tong (Mek Jirakit Thawornwong - 'Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart', 'Star and Sky: Star in My Mind', both 2022; 'Kiss Me Again, 2018').
With the possibility of accessing the memories and knowledge of his past life, Joe meets Ming again (Up Poompat Iam-samang - 'Lovely Writer', 2021; 'Club Sapan Fine Season 2', 2022), with whom he had a relationship. deep relationship in the afterlife. Joe will remember that his death is the result of an accident during filming that took place after discovering that Ming has always considered him as his second choice. After learning this painful truth, Joe is forced to work on a film set abroad where tragedy occurs.
However, in this life, Ming wants Joe to return to his side like before and Joe doesn't know why, because the relationship they both had was always toxic and suffocating. Ming, who has retained all his memories of old Joe, tries to find the truth about his new life to finally offer him the explanation he was never able to give him.
Now, in a new existence full of uncertainties, Joe will have the opportunity to reflect on himself and his place in the world, which has never been free of the shadow of being a stuntman.
Will Joe escape his tragic destiny as a substitute? Will Ming manage to rekindle the love between the two through a plan as crazy as it is imaginative? Can Ming redeem himself for the suffering caused to Joe in the afterlife through repentance and rectification? Will the relationship between the two have, like Joe with his reincarnation, a second chance?
From directors Khom Kongkiat Khomsiri ('KinnPorsche', 2022, 'The Promise', 2023) and Pepzi Banchorn Vorasataree ('Dark Blue Kiss', 2019, 'KinnPorsche'), the series 'My Stand-In' is the Thai adaptation from the popular novel "Professional Body Double" (职业替身), by Chinese writer Shui Qian Cheng.
If someone asked me: what is so special about the series?, I would answer:
- The captivating story of romance, fantasy, mystery and the power of love throughout lives.
- The idea of twists of fate and the possibility of second chances.
- Revitalizing the theme of reincarnation not only in the concept that the protagonist reincarnates, but also that he can access the memories and knowledge of his past lives. This helps in character and story development.
- Reincarnation as a concept or idea that, after death, we can return and get a second chance, takes the vertigo away from the finitude of human life.
- Addressing an attractive and complex topic such as reincarnation, which oscillates between the fun suggestions of the fantastic imagination and the sacredness of Eastern religions.
- Be adapted from a novel of the danmei genre which in turn is based on the "scum gong/crematorium" dynamic, in which gong is a term used to identify the seme, and crematorium means "crying for the lover who is gone ". In this perspective, when the gong/seme realizes his mistakes too late and has to make an effort to recover the person he loves, that is, his shou/uke, at any cost.
The series is just beginning. We will have to closely follow Joe, Ming and Tong, characters who have captured all our attention.
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Love at its finest
Do you know that feeling you get when you have just finished a really good book or series and you are just left feeling empty, like there is a void that needs to be filled, and only the memories you have created over the last few hours can soothe the emptiness inside? This is how I feel right now.The redemption arc written for Ming is the best one I have ever witnessed in any BL. I love how they did not make him turn over a new leaf out of being sorry but instead made him suffer through love and feel its merciless assault on the soul. They gave his character a rebirth through hard grief. I call it hard grief because knowing someone died and seeing a body is one thing, but not knowing if someone is dead or alive and no body to see, well that is hell on earth.
Watching Joe mourn his old self was so moving in a way I have never considered. I saw a quote that says "Many people die at 25 but are buried at 70." This quote came to mind because here Joe is mourning the loss of his body and old self, but still having a second chance. There are people who have lost themselves for whatever reason and are not really living; they are surviving for the sake of various reasons. My point is when you are lucky enough to get a second chance do not let it slip away, and if you do not get one then make one because you will only be in this life, this moment in this space only once.
When Ming let go of Joe, but could not stand it for even a second and ran to him, wrapping his arms around him; refusing to let him go. Now, that is romance, heartbreak and love all at once. Writing this now, one couple comes to mind and it is Lu Feng and Xiao Chen from A Round Trip To Love. Those two were "desperate love" personified. I always say that for me Chinese BLs and writing are above the rest, well tonight, Thailand hit the same level for me. I have only ever experienced this type of portrayal of desperation and love from a Chinese BL. Well done Thailand.
Ming waited at home cooking for Joe for two years; fulfilling Joe's dream as if calling him home is one incredible act of love.
I am still amazed at how well Ming's character was written to sway the audience (me) so well. I went from hating him to rejoicing in his torment, to feeling my gut move with grief, to finally loving him. The fact that his character alone told a whole love story is just writing at its best.
Joe is a fool for love. The way he folded so quickly when Ming started to make it up to him lol. What I truly love though is that apology Ming gave him. I think it says a lot that even though all was basically settled they saw it important for that apology to take place. That scene in itself is a 10. I think oftentimes people forgive and move on and words cannot change anything, but those three words, "I am sorry" can shift so much in a person wronged and even in the one doing the apology. Apologies are best given in this life because the next life perhaps is not so accommodating or does not even exist, so apologise in the life you are sure of.
I kept putting off watching this series for months. I would come in here frequently and say I am going to start this series but for whatever reason never got around to it. Here I am now on the eve of 2025 completing it and giving it a 10. Closing off a year that for me was full of successes academically and occupationally. I will not forget this one anytime soon. My Stand-In: Uncut 10/10 one of my favourite and proudest 10. This is how you close off the 2024 BL season in style.
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What a loop of meh
This concept was so intriguing at the beginning, it's a bit nuts how little I started to care about anyone until I had a break and eventually just decided to drop.Awful characters, repetitive betrayals and arguments.
I think another thing that put me off was the sudden physical relationship, it just didn't hit. Especially after he'd switched bodies, slowburn would of hit so much more.
Instead the kissing scenes started feeling routine, like oh here another ep another kiss or bed scene, but like I didn't find it hot at all, just meh.
I love Ming's actor, loved him in lovely writer, he was the main reason along with a bit or curiosity why I watched as much as I did.
But wow I just don't care anymore.
For me it wasn't a good drama, I felt like they missed opportunity's to do interesting things with the plot, what they did was repetitive, the opening song was dreadful, the love and relationship is toxic.
I'm no stranger to toxic, if it's compelling and interesting I'll try but this just played out bad.
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My Stand-in was the last BL I've watched
As a new BL fan (2024), curiosity of the genre was on peak. I watched so many popular and underrated series/movies within the first 4 months of 2024. I who loved to keep track, could no longer update my watchlist but it was only My Stand-in that put a stop on my tiring routine. It was so unique that I watched the whole 12 episodes 10 times already. The directors did a great job in storytelling and the cinematography was excellent. And the most important thing was the casts. I totally fell in love with Ming and Joe, and Uppoompat and Poom acting. In the end, I became a Toobtub (UpPoom's fandom name) I became a fan of these internationalactors for the first time in my life. The impact of the series in my life was indescribable and I could not let go of it. Hope you will love and support My Stand In too and the upcoming projects of the two main actorsWas this review helpful to you?
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Cinematic Perfection
I can't believe I haven't written a review for this series yet even though I've seen it at least 5 or 6 times now. (I'm honestly not exaggerating on that 10 for a rewatch value.)This series was just so well done in every aspect, it's hard to pick where to begin.
The story was unique and *gasp* it made sense! And while there was never (spoiler #1) any explanation on how or why Joe's soul ended up in another body, honestly, it didn't matter in the end. Enough happened that made me completely forget about "how" and "why" in a trade off of emotional twists and turns that completely wrecked me.
Now, I'm not usually one for angst... but after seeing this, I realize I'm not one for immature, teenager angst that is more frustrating than entertaining and almost always easily avoidable. *This* angst had me hooked on the line from the get-go and I couldn't break free until the very end. (I mean this in a good way.) The roller coaster Joe goes through as the parallels of his past life run alongside his new life are just so well done and portrayed that we feel like we're getting all the dizzying airtime right along with him.
Speaking of.. this was a rare case of phenomenal editing and visually stunning shooting. The way they took opportunities to either show Joe's reflection in a subtle but "remember, this is what he looks like to everyone else" kind of way was so well done. It was neither in your face or "blink and you miss it." And it wasn't too often as if they thought the audience would forget or be stupid about it. It was handled very well at peak plot points to hit us right in the heart with the reminder and it was hella effective.
The acting.. honestly, if I want to be a bit picky, I could knock off half a point for some of the supporting cast (Looking at you, May, Sol and Tharn) but really, they weren't all that distracting and I think it actually helped their characters a little bit to be "less than polished" so I can forgive it. But everyone else? Such great performances by literally everyone else. (Spoilers ahead) My god, I want a guardian angel like Wut... He really was the best grounding support to Joe who really needed it. And when he found out the truth and punched Joe before hugging him, that was a full on weeping moment for me even though I don't shed tears on series that often. But the combination of his hurt, his relief, *our* relief that someone finally knew the truth, and Joe's surprise and anguish was just a combination of emotions that basically reached in through the chest and squeezed the heart.
Even Tong was such a convincing a-hole that we just love to hate on him. Really, every time he showed up on screen, everyone in the watch party was like "Go away, Tong." And Up and Poom in the lead roles were nothing short of perfection. Whenever Joe lost his sh*t, it was heartbreaking and when Ming did yet another SMH thing or said something that made you want to slap him, it was perfectly delivered, none-the-less.
As far as Joe and Ming as characters... they really had so much going on while not being overwhelming to the audience. It was not hard to keep up even when a new development was introduced as everything boiled down to two (spoiler-y) simple concepts: Ming fell in love with Joe's back just never realized it was Joe until it was too late and; Joe was a simp for Ming from the get-go which made him powerless to stay out of Ming's orbit. Ming's personal growth and character development was so satisfying, it was one of the best I've seen in series ever. Even when he was painted as a villainous a-hole, we can't help but love the idiot. And he gets a redemption arc that feels natural and makes me forgive everything from the past after seeing it through his perspective. (Also, rewatches helped understand his actions more and more but not in a "I missed that the first time around" kind of way. More like a "Ahh, these were hints where if you know, you know" kind of way.)
Anyway, I could probably go on and on about this series but for the sake of not breaking down every scene with why I love it, I would just say do yourself a favor and watch this series. But, forewarning, it is not for the faint of heart... this will hurt but it will also heal. The payoff is definitely worth it in the end.
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