Visually good, but lacks emotional impact.
If you’re after eye-catching leads, cute moments, nice visual aesthetic and good OST, this series has got you covered. But if you're looking for a compelling emotional experience, a deeper storyline and outstanding performance, you might end up feeling let down. The show follows the journey of Ran and Dao from 2016 to 2024, showcasing the ups and downs of their lives and friendship over the years. While the series has its strengths, such as good story development and production values, it falls short in emotional impact and character portrayal.The series starts off promisingly, drawing the audience into the world of the two characters and their evolving relationship. However, as the series progresses, the momentum begins to slow down, but it manages to pick up the pace back toward the end. However, as the story progresses, the storytelling becomes predictable and lacks the emotional depth needed to truly engage me into what more to come. The emotional rollercoaster isn’t delivered well.
In my opinion, there are two shortcomings of this series. Firstly is the lack of significant change over the nine-year period. The time and era shifts from 2016 to 2024 are not effectively translated on-screen, especially in terms of props and setting. Some characters' appearance/looks remain pretty much the same as they were since their college days. The parents don’t even have a strand of grey hair even after 9 years. Hence, as much as I can follow the story, I don’t feel the passage of time or the impact of the changing years on the characters' lives much.
Secondly is the acting. Aim, as a debut actor, may come off as a bit rigid in his performance, but it’s not all that bad. His good-looking and hot-bod might seem to save him, but those aspects alone don’t do wonders to his acting, at least for me. And Cherprang’s acting may also fall short at times, needing to work on delivering a more natural performance. In some crying scenes, her expressions look a bit more forced than naturally sad. She did well in her previous series, but for this one, the way she portrayed Dao feels a bit bland, lacking the nuance and depth needed to make it memorable. While Cherprang and Aim share good chemistry, their emotions do not always translate well on-screen. They surely have some good cute moments, but there’s not much depth to their story to draw me into the emotional highs and lows of their relationship.
In conclusion, "9 Years of You" is a nice romantic drama, but falls short in emotional impact and character execution. While the series has the potential to be a more compelling and emotionally resonant series, it struggles to fully resonate with viewers due to its lack of depth in character portrayal.
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Best Friends are "Better Together" for 9 years and more...
this lakorn is one of the few outstanding I watched from the time I started into asian drama world, though unusually a miniseries for a lenght of thailand drama but enjoyable all the way for every 9 hours of it...I think as a plot for friends to lovers or the romantic type of dramas, this is the best a thailand drama can be portraying in this decent show comparing how thailands lakorns evolved from two decades ago till now... I can see that there is progression in the execution of lakorns when it comes to the interactions and chemistry of leads, the story, cinematography, acting... the cast was so good and well chosen though I didn't watched any other dramas for any of these actors of this drama but they did a great job in this lakorn...
the time skip in the script going through 9 years made the story a bit lacking in terms of making an overall coherent story causing some plot holes but it was obvious that they would follow this style for a miniseries though maybe it could have been better if making this drama a bit more longer for 3 to 4 episodes but wasn't boring or draggy...
the chemistry as leads turning from friends to lovers is so good and firing, I can see that they couldn't hiding their crush for each others through all these 9 years, even when they chose at the start to follow this concept of "friends shouldn't dating" to not make it complicated if they will break up when leads concluded that after seeing their best friends going through it...
when leads were in a relationship with another partners, it was like an exam in life to test how much they are able to be apart and avoiding each others and it was the hardest for them to accept it when they turned out to have them being separated not interfering in each other like before but the events of story were in their favor to make them reuniniting together unable to give up on their deep love and bond...
the setback of the story and hardships that leads faced and hindered them from being together or arguing to end up being apart were disappointing in some places but the satisfying ending made up for all of this...
as the first drama for the male lead Aim, it was a great start for him and I think he made a nice performance in this drama, playing amazingly how he wanted to protect and standing besides Dao in all her times and for the female lead Cherprang was too good in portraying Dao but I think she could have performed a bit better but all her scenes with Ran were so brilliant and wonderdully done... so the first leads were so nicely paired together
the support characters of both leads family were all so splendid in acting... I like the supportive sister Duan and grandma of female lead and I think the actress playing mother of male lead was so nice and lovely for both of main actors, one of the best mom characters...
in the end it is a drama easy to watch and considered acceptable that what I expected to see in such plots of friends to lovers I found it... it was executed in a wonderful way and would like to strongly recommend it as one of the thailand lakorn that are worthy to try it and above than average... not forgetting the wonderful OST that added a lot of value to the show...
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A Light watch if you're in the mood for a good friends to lovers story.
This was a breezy watch. Way better than... well ALL lakorns I've seen so far.PROS
1. I thought Aimm ( the ML) was great in this role and was surprised to see it was actually his FIRST role.
2. Chemistry was off the chart. I particularly liked the fact that once these two are together, they're very touchy feely unlike most dramas were actors barely touch each other unless when they're kissing. Here they cuddle, they naturally touch each other which is how a young couple behave when they get together.
3. No useless drama, no draggy plotlines.
4. Since basically 1 episode equals one year ( well not exactly per say but you get the drift) there is no lasting angst onscreen. We might know mentally time has passed and the angsty situation has lasted for a while... but we don't feel it because time is moving fast. Some might consider that it removes a bit of the emotional impact...which is true... but it also avoids any lasting annoyance with rival characters.
5. The "one true love" trope is more realistically portrayed. (See CONS for more details about this point).
6. Both leads are VERY EASY on the eyes so that does... err make it more enjoyable. (My God Aimm is just G.E.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.)
7. Great production value. Both visually and also in terms of sound. The sound is CLEAR ( a rarity in lakorns). The Opening is great.
Possible CONS:
1. Some viewers might be put off by the fact that this show takes a realistic approach to relationships. It's obvious these two have loved each other since they were very young ( and I'd say Ran was the first to fall, since it's obvious that boy is hitting on his crush like crazy) but both try to move on at some point... They meet and have relationships with other people ( and yes have sex as well) which is much more realistic than not kissing or meeting anybody else for 10 years.
Don't get me wrong, I personally love the trope of "keeping yourself for your true love"... but that doesn't mean this story is in any way less romantic than the usual "I never kissed nor had sex with anybody else" trope. Again, these two love each other, but they have terrible timing and hence TRY to move on. It's not that they don't have affection for their other partners... but it's obvious to us AND to them that these partners will never compare because they're just soulmates.
2. Character-wise, I'd say Ran is maybe a little bit too perfect, even his "mistakes" always come from a place of selflessness unlike Dao who appears to be more selfish. You still root for them to be clear, but Dao is a bit more layered and Ran a bit more one-note. It didn't bother me but it might some viewers.
3. The PPLs were terrible especially in episode 8. No subtlety whatsoever.
4. The "Mr Stone Face" Art was... terrible as well. It was very lazy art. Well better than using AI... This was obviously done by an artist... but err... I'm a bit puzzled over WHY they chose them. Sorry but that's not worth having a whole company backing you with dolls, products and I don't know how many fans ( also artists are rarely recognized in the street, the art is important not the person behind) and the success you got. It just doesn't make sense. I'm probably nitpicking here but as an artist myself... my eyes bled every time I saw that Stone Face character. It was always drawn with the same clothes in the same position. They only changed its position once or twice for a supposed art exposition but overall... If you're still drawing like that after that many years, you're just slacking off I'm sorry. Artists have to work at bettering their craft even when the style is cartoonish.
I don't know maybe a matter of cost... but this is one instance where I'd say, use AI to do it if you have not time nor money to pay a proper artist since it personally just took me out of the story every time I was supposed to think that a certain character had this huge success over... basically nothing of note. It was not believable in the slightest and broke the immersion in the drama.
5. Cherprang's performance was at times awkward especially her crying scenes.
6. There's a second couple which have their own journey. Could have been as interesting as the main couple but there was really no time to really explore their relationship in depth.
7. Episode 9 was a bit of a letdown focusing on a character we honestly didn't give a sh*** about. The series was always about these two WHY spend a whole episode on some last ditch drama on a character that had NO ROLE in their relationship? It would have made more sense to do it with the grandma for instance... at least she had rooted for these 2.
CONCLUSION
In spite of my list of CONS, I honestly thoroughly enjoyed myself without ever being bored or overly annoyed (well apart from the art but that's a pet peeve of mine due to professional reasons... I can't help it) so I'm not gonna hold them against the show.
Recommended if you're in the mood for a light sweet romance with gorgeous leads and a limited amount of useless drama with overly meandering nonsensical plot twists that go nowhere。
Suggested rating: 8
Personal rating: 8.5
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Not the fluffy marathon romance I was expecting, but Realistic with many curveballs
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25A well-done Friends-to-Lovers drama is hard to come by. They either omit the awkwardness of the transition, or piss you off because you can see both characters having feelings for each other but no one dares to say something first, worried that it might ruin the friendship. I was hoping “9 Years of You” could be one of the better ones. The good thing is that, “9 Years of You” didn’t really fall into the above-mentioned categories. It also ended up not being the romantic and fluffy drama that I expected. There’s no ‘romance’ or ‘comedy’ tag here. It’s only a ‘drama’ one.
It took a very long time for the leads to end up together, not because the feelings weren’t revealed but because timing and life keep on getting in the way. This drama requires a lot of patience for viewers to follow their romantic journey. The early episodes have a lot of supporting/saving each other as friends, but I needed more fluff to last me through the ups and downs of their relationship. Even when they eventually get together, the drama fails to give me enough bread crumbs to sustain before another curveball is thrown in their way. It’s not like there’s a lot of angst in the drama, but it becomes a little tiring when, from a romance standpoint, the couple never got a break. In a way, this is a very realistic look of a marathon romance from friends to lovers, and then from lovers to living happily together. Even though their timing isn’t right, the drama gave us a realistic/practical view of their journey. No one is going to wait around for years and remain celibate. They are going to meet other people along the way.
Having said that, the leads have excellent chemistry. I enjoy their bantering in the first couple episodes, and throughout the drama. They are mostly very honest and communicative of their feelings. Even if they are arguing, they would eventually either apologize or laugh about it. The kisses are good and natural, thank goodness. No eating someone’s face, or looking like they’re being forced. The leads are a good-looking pair as well. It also doesn’t hurt when all the characters dress pretty nicely. They got money to have nice houses, office spaces and clothes for everyone.
I’m also relieved that the acting is good and not cringey. There’s no over-the-top lakorn acting or the camera staying on a character’s face for way too long.Cherprang (who played FL) is great. You can see how her character changes and matures throughout the drama, and Cherprang’s acting follows suit. Aimm (ML), is a newcomer and it shows when acting with Cherprang. This is his first drama but he did a respectable job. Even if he doesn’t, his visuals and nice abs will keep me going. The rest of the supporting cast did pretty well, too. There isn’t anyone who annoys me and it’s rare in a Thai drama.
The passage of time through the 9 years could be hard to follow if you are not paying attention to what’s written on screen or the casual remarks by the characters. Aside from that, there's no change in coloring or cinematography. Even the middle school scenes, color-wise, look the same as the present-day timeline and you only knew because of the teen actors. I guess the only way to tell time is the hairstyle change of FL. Roughly speaking, each episode showcased what happened within a year. There are times when I wished the drama was shorter, even though it’s only 9 episodes long.
I would recommend this if you enjoy a more realistic approach to the friends-to-lovers trope. Be aware that this is not a romantic-comedy, and tamper your expectations of cute and fluffy scenes. But I do enjoy this drama, especially the first half of it. I was going to give this a 8.5, until the last few episodes when I got a little tired of the constant obstacles being thrown in their way. So, a solid 8.25 for me, and I don’t regret watching it.
Random Observations about Product Placements:
1. There are many product placements, but they don’t feel too intrusive or out-of-place.
2. Without the product placement of shower gel, we won’t see Aimm’s shower scenes. LOL. Those scenes are unnecessary.
3. I don’t remember seeing a character puking and actually dirty their shirt with puke! No worries, we got a detergent sponsor, so we see our green-flag ML washing clothes.
4. Not sure if the puzzles are product placements or not, but I LOVE them because I loved how they were used and they showed how romantic ML could be.
Completed: 8/16/2025 Review #614
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Mains were so prettryt
It has been long since I actually completed a drama,nothing has really hooked me lately.This was something new and fresh(even if it had its flaws)(also I dont think everyone will get this).I dont watch rom if mains dont have chemistry,this def had that chemissstryy for a genre like this.This is not your usual romcom of mains having only eyes for each other,it actually was based on ground reality,loved that.9 years of you as the name suggested,it legit covered each year per episode,so there is nothing such as 'slow paced drama',totally for my type of peeps who get bored easily.Tbh I have watched better thai dramas,i wont lie there,but i havent watched a drama like this,no this didnt have any extraordinary storyline,it is the way characters and screen play was placed,totally stole the show for me.Recommended!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Es un drama que podría ser un poco cliché porque primero sufre una de los dos protagonistas luego el otro, poco a poco se dan cuenta de sus sentimientos pero tardan en aceptarlos (muchos años , por eso el nombre del drama), haciendo bastante difícil pasar la línea de amigos a amantes. En los primeros episodios y a modo de flashbacks vemos como nace su amistad desde la infancia, ellos comparten todo, se ayudan en todo, prácticamente todos a su alrededor los veían como enamorados pero ellos mismos no aceptaban sus sentimientos al crecer. Luego aparecen los conflictos, enfermedades como el cáncer, accidentes o también el problema del ML con su papá y toda esa carga emocional en ambos que fue parte de la trama para que reaccionen y estén juntos. Sentí como si hubieran metido varias problemáticas en un solo drama de nueve capítulos, que no fue engorroso de ver. Lo planearon bien.
Me gustó la química que se fue dando en el CP, al final terminan juntos con un final feliz; después de tanto sufrimiento vino la calma para ellos.
Por otro lado , las parejas que les toco tener al CP, eran demasiado red flag, manipulando a los protagonistas. Lo mismo paso con la pareja de amigos del CP, los llamare A(chico) y B(chica), A y B tuvieron una relación pero A engaño a B, A insistía a B que lo perdone, tenia oportunidades porque estaban en el mismo grupito de amigos del CP, entonces en un episodio, A cita a B con la intensión de que lo perdone, pide la comida mariscos (este dato es importante ) y le pide nuevamente a B regresar, a lo que B no acepta y cuando B se esta yendo , A quien resulta ser alérgico a los mariscos, se come intencionalmente unos del plato para que B vea que va enserio y lo perdone ( realmente todo un manipulador u.u) , a lo q B regresa y lo ayuda porque B sabiendo de sus temas alérgicos, llevaba la medicina en su bolso. Regresando a este episodio, A termina a salvo de su ahogo y manipulando a B. Personalmente me pareció que ese debió ser el punto de ruptura definitiva para ellos sino es que mucho antes, pero así van las tramas, inclusive ellos terminan casándose antes que el CP principal.
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