Gelboys (2025)

a unique masterpiece - brace for emotional damage

Overall: a vibrant glimpse into the ups and downs of teen love. 7 episodes about 55 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/kknyn3lik4?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4

Content Warnings: dub con kissing, non con video posting

What I Liked
- how a character's house looked like a typical house inside, and outside felt realistic
- being aware of a crush but not directly acting on it, the push and pull dynamic
- appreciated that instead of an exposition dump, the writer/s found a natural way to tell us what grade a main character was in
- the nail art was a clever way to show time passing (nail art growing out)
- the shifting viewpoints (some episodes were told from different characters' perspectives but they didn't re-hash plot that we've seen)
- good kissing
- happy that Bua decided to not change his looks for another person
- production value (cinematography, music)

Room For Improvement
- the very beginning made me think that it was filmed during lockdowns
- that bathroom shot in ep 1 was a choice
- though being on phones/social media a ton was realistic, I needed more face to face conversations in some of the episodes, it also dragged the plot at times
- did not feel as if 2 years had passed
- I wish it had been a bit more clear with two characters at the end

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Portrait of Thai urban-queer teen culture

'GelBoys', iQIYI Thailand's third original series in collaboration with GMMTV, following Girl Love (GL) 'Drop of Rain with the Smell of Rust (Petrichor)' and BL 'Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist' (coming soon), brings us a romantic story of Coming of Age and youthful relationships in the modern era, set against the backdrop of the vibrant pop culture scene of Siam Square, the beating heart of Bangkok.
Due to its high cultural trust, 'GelBoys' is an example of how small studios save Thai BL production. Its vibrant cinematographic language and attractive script are worth highlighting.
In this place full of contrasting vibes, the epicenter of everything cool that exists in the Thai capital, a place where fashion is sculpted and emerges, "Fou4Mod", a high school student who longs for a romantic relationship, finds himself flirted with by Chian, a boy who sports gel nails and who casually invites him to get his nails done together in Siam Square.
"Fou4Mod" falls in love with him, but soon realizes he's being "put on hold" when he discovers that Chian is also inviting Bua, a half-Thai, half-German TikToker, to gel nail sessions.
For this reason, "Fou4Mod" decides to get revenge by asking his close friend Baabin for help, and they do their nails together in an attempt to make Chian jealous and experience being in a state of "waiting" for themselves. We soon discover that Baabin has been secretly in love with "Fou4Mod" for years. What if Bua ends up liking Baabin? Wouldn't a romance between the two be the ideal solution to the conflict the four protagonists are experiencing? What could happen to this love triangle? However, this won't be a "perfect love triangle," as Bua likes to go on dates with Moo (Bonus Nutthawut Eamchuen), a schoolmate.
The interesting thing about the love triangle in 'Gelboys' is that the character with two suitors isn't the main protagonist. The Thai series essentially follows "Fou4Mod," not Chian. It's Chian's romantic choice, not "Fou4Mod's," that drives the story; And the romantic choice, which is at the heart of the story, isn't up to the boy who fell in love with the woman who introduced him to the world of gel nails. What if, among so many romantic options, "Fou4Mod" will eventually have to choose between Chian and Baabin?
Also interesting is the fact that, very often, the BL narrative takes us to a boy who has always believed he was heterosexual and today wavers when he discovers that he has fallen in love with another man. 'Gelboys' takes us through another path: here is a boy who is firmly convinced that he is gay, but hesitates as to which of the two boys he is attracted to is the right one to have a romance with.
Launched by iQIYI, the world's largest online video and movie platform, the series specifically seeks to expand Thai content in the global market with the announced goal of making the Southeast Asian nation a global entertainment center.
The first impression I get from the first frames is that I am in the presence of a great real-life portrait of teenagers who go to and from school from the BTS Skytrain, go through their daily lives while sharing with their friends, with their classmates, with their teachers, with their partners, while they flirt with the boy they like, spy on social networks, follow from a distance the person they have fallen in love with... while they are filmed with a mobile phone, so that it seems more natural... and they, oblivious to everything, they don't know it.
If we add to the above the music, the absence of internal monologues, the capture of how uncomfortable and transcendental teenage love is, a boy wanting to be "cool" in front of the person he likes, the awkwardness, the nail art, the pop culture, the cartoons as part of the plot, the trope of love at first sight with a different approach than usual, and the atmosphere of Siam Square, with its combination of street food stalls and high-end restaurants, the various attractions that the Passerby finds in his path, such as the revered Erawan Shrine or the Jim Thompson Museum of Art, we find a series with the development and rhythm of its very realistic and relaxing story of LGBT+ life.
Sometimes I get the impression of being a team of reporters in the middle of a public street filming passers-by or acquaintances.
Siam Square in particular and Bangkok in general are the heart of the story, as the characters are essentially urban. In my opinion, there is an intention to show the city beyond its iconic tourist destinations.
The construction of the atmosphere of 'Gelboys' depends not only on the acting talent, but also on the aesthetic and narrative decisions of the production team. The happy and festive tones combine harmoniously with the oppressive and dark ones in the direction, to reinforce the feeling of emotional claustrophobia that the main characters experience, one in an attempt to conquer the boy he likes, and the other who oscillates between two loves.
In this sense, each shot is a reflection of their internal states, from moments of joy, of sharing experiences in communion, and others of doubt to episodes of despair.
Another relevant aspect is the use of real locations combined with sets designed specifically for the series. Additionally, music plays a key role in the narrative. "No-status Status", the main song performed by BUS, is not only a poetic anthem, but a constant description of the situation experienced by the protagonists.
With a very attractive, dynamic, fresh and highly addictive format, behind the series, guaranteeing success, is the same technical team that produced 'I Told Sunset About You' and 'The Paradise of Thorns': Boss Naruebet Kuno as director; Kate Karakade Norasethaporn, Junior Naron Cherdsoongnern and Boss himself as scriptwriters, and Tang Tawanwad Wanavit as director of photography, this time with the first collaboration with LOOKE.
The viewer can notice from the first images, in this romantic, youthful, musical and episodic series, the influence of the French New Wave, with its low budget, with the sounds, light and music emanating from the same story, with the technical simplicity, with the greatest narrative freedom, with filming with a greater presence of natural settings, which has a lot to do with what the filmmakers did in the 90s of the last century, in the music video, and codes of staging such as breaking with studios and sets, and going out into the street to film with a camera (or a mobile phone, as is the case) and a recorder, and thus creating a visual poetry that reflects the life of the inhabitants of the asphalt.
Boss Naruebet Kuno is a master in experimenting with genres and structures, with characters and with the traditions of a cinematography perhaps not unaccustomed to these experiments.
Due to its realism, 'GelBoys' feels like a series redolent of dreams, aspirations and desires of today's teenagers, but that also has the power to evoke the memories and nostalgia of those who have already gone through this stage of life. It pleasantly reminds me of the GameBoys era.
Equally noteworthy is the idea it gives of being an independent film product due to its low budget, dealing with everyday topics and being closer to the public. I am glad that creative interests are not dominated by the desire to make a big income.
On the other hand, the use of the technique and creativity of the grader is notable when regulating lighting variables such as color dominants, luminosity, brightness, saturation, and contrast of the different shots through photochemical processes in the laboratory, thereby achieving the same shots shot with different mobile phone cameras and in changing light conditions.
It seems to me to be a very different series from the usual BL series, with an impeccable aesthetic, with a very Gen Z story, with strong Y2K vibes, but which does not lack a certain retro vibe. And it brings us familiar faces and new ones.
"Fou4Mod" is performed by New Chayapak Tunprayoon, known to audiences through projects such as 'Ready, Set, Love' and 'I Promised You The Moon', the sequel series to 'I Told Sunset About You', in which he played Au.
For his part, Chian comes to life through actor Pide Monthapoom Sumonvarangkul, who we have seen in the sports-themed BL series 'Our Days', by screenwriter and director Kyo Thanate Limchaloen, in which he played Q.
Baabin is played by PJ Mahidol Pibulsonggrama, who has gained more public attention after starring in Off director Monthon Arayangkoon's romantic medical drama 'Good Doctor' and the series 'Eightraordinary', and who is also the younger brother of JJ Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram, who recently played 'Thiu' Wasan, the police officer in 'Spare Me Your Mercy'.
GelBoys is the series debut of Thai-German model and actor Leon Zech or Leon Brocco as Bua.
"Fou4Mod" Chian, Baabin and Bua and their schoolmates seem to be not a group of actors playing a certain role they were chosen for, but real students in their school uniforms, with their textbooks in their backpacks, guitar on their backs, living everyday life, experiencing first love, being like real teenagers are: impulsive, hormonal, daring, adventurous, idealistic, optimistic, liberal, critical, eager to be an adult, constantly searching to spend more time with friends and less time with family, spending more time alone in their room, trying out different personal styles (clothes, hairstyle, makeup…), trying out different hobbies or having changing interests… And this gives it a high degree of realism, rarely seen before in a BL series.
The viewer may feel repulsed by the person who uses his peers for something as selfish as making others jealous, but that is so well portrayed in this program that one waits to see how the story continues.
In the midst of some of the most visited attractions, restaurants and shopping centers in the city of Bangkok, such as Siam Paragon, Siam Shopping One, MBK and Central World, and that kind of open-air shopping center with a creative atmosphere, with its endless alleys of improvised stalls and open markets to explore, each with its own range of extravagant products, these four young people live the experiences of first love, love at first sight, the first flirtations, and also the first nail job of their lives.
Due to its realism, 'GelBoys' feels like a series with the scent of the dreams, aspirations and desires of today's teenagers, but that also has the power to evoke the memories and nostalgia of those who have already gone through this stage of life.
'Gelboys' is not just a series: it is an invitation to reflect on adolescence as that stage of constant changes, where each person seeks autonomy and their own identity.
The masterful performances of New and Pide, together with a cast of talented actors, take the audience on a path full of emotions, conflicts and universal truths, where in that search for identity, having dreams and aspirations are of vital importance.
'Gelboys' transcends the traditional molds of the genre and demonstrates that series can be both a space for entertainment and a platform for art and introspection. What would you do, as a teenager, to achieve your dreams? Won't these help you form your character and define your personality in order to guide your actions and define what you want to be, how you want people to identify you and how you want to see yourself in the future? These are the questions that 'Gelboys' asks us episode after episode.
In short, 'Gelboys' has a huge heart, a lot of realism, great musical numbers and many sentimental moments... it will bring tears to your eyes, laughter... and you will jump with joy and happiness.

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Best Thai BL in a long time....WATCH!

The endless cycle of being pawns in the power game of dating....to put everyone on hold forever and manipulate them like hell, just in case that one person says a half-yes and gives me the rush .....I guess a lot of us can relate to that, no?

BL-needle score: 8 - Reasonably high BL-ness. But this is less of a BL, and more of a story about Boys who fall, fail, and rise in Love

This is the most un-BL, un-Thai, Thai BL I have watched in a loooooong time. I guess I can't stop gushing about this show now. The messy screenplay will make you relive all the painful/ blissful (depending on which end you were caught in, or possibly both?) memories of your intense love failures and wins....the unimaginable highs of that one nod from them, and the bottomless pit of pain of seeing them happy with someone else......be warned that it can be triggering if you haven't made peace with some of those memories...and even if you have, you might just feel flooded with them memories nonetheless.....it'll make you cry, laugh, and reel from all of it...Yes, it is THAT good

But in the end, this was so GOOD MESSY!!! The last episode was long, at times terrifying, and then finally completely melted me......oh! the angst, the almost-heartbreaks, the tension....almost killed me....ha ha! I loved loved loved this show...frankly, even if this had to have a heartbreaking finale, I would still love it ....maybe even a tiny-winy bit more than a happy ending (that masochist in me...lol) ..but mighty glad that it's a happy one....I can breathe again...

The show features some really stunning acting by all the four leads - New, PJ, Leon and Pide...but the real magic of this show was its art of storytelling, because at the end it was a very common coming of age story of four teenagers, who go through lust, love, friendship, angst, jealousy and pain as they inch towards being grown ups.....the screenplay, direction, editing and cinematography does a stellar job, alongside their acting to make this a compelling tale!

An extremely well-made and well-acted series, with a very satisfying end....I wish this team makes more in the days ahead....

WATCH, without any doubts whatsoever!

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Gel nails, Airdrops, Blackpink and Teenage Angst

While these boys and their crushes and rejections had them peeing themselves on zoom calls, mine had me saving someone son’s name as ‘Psalms 45:2’ on my phone. Also, these boys had me out here frustrated and stressed. Cuz: Fou4Mod is in love with Chian, who is in love with Bua, who is in love with Baabin, who is in love with Fou4Mod, who is in love with Chian. It was a love circle and it gave me a headache. Let me explain.

The CRUSH CIRCLE OF GELBOYS.
Chian—>Bua—>Baabin—>Fou4Mod—>Chian

See, a love square. Everyone had a crush on someone who didn’t like them back. Children please put that phone down and see the life happening in front of you. But of course, that would have been too easy, and there wouldn't have been any drama. No, but really, this whole show was a giant headache of stress and idiots in love. I was stressing for someone to shut up and be with someone, so we'd have some peace. Then of course, all the nonsense ended with Chian—>Fou4Mod & Baabin—>Bua. People, I could have told you this family tree weeks ago. All that teenage angst and for what?

These boys, oh these gelboys. Was having a crush ever that serious? YES, yes it was, and I'm sure we all understand why. Most of us have been there: Crying your eyes out at 2am to a sad song while going through their socials, stalking them in person and online, the panic when you see them and you aren't prepared, the stress of what to wear on days you know you’d see them, the delulu scenarios you make in your head to love songs, then the absolute pain and heartbreak when your crush announce their dating Janet from Class B. Like, what does Janet have? Sure she looks good in lipgloss and her hair always does that thing, but… whhhhhy Psalms 45:2 why you didn’t love me back when in my head we married to a Taylor Swift song???

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, although all these 4 characters should pay your decision is dumb taxes, having been in their shoes and understanding the angst that is being a teenager, I don't blame them. I'm actually surprised they figured it out in the end and everyone went where they were supposed to be, and those who needed to apologise did, and those who needed closure got theirs too. Me, I'm still stalking Psalms 45:2 on instagram. Janet's hair still does the thing... love that for her, but also not.

Fou4Mod
This boy broke his own heart over and over again. He knew he was being kept on the hook, knew Chian was in love with Bua, but still he went ‘ah, it’s fine let’s be whatever’ and then made a whole delulu relationship out of it, thinking it would turn real. And the whole time, my arse was like: 'This aint disney honey, that frog aint gonna turn into a prince'. Then of course he decided to hurt two innocent people for his own selfish reasons, poor Baabin and Faifa did not deserve what he did to them. Did I feel sorry for him, yes, cuz we all do stupid things when our heart is involved, but really, most of the problems he had were caused by himself, so at the end of the day he deserved some of the hurt. I'm glad he wised up in the end, put himself first until he was ready to give Chian a fair chance.

Chian
Yes, at some point everyone hated him for how he treated Fou4Mod but he was honest about where his heart was, sure he led Fou4Mod on, but he was also being kept on the hook and looking for a way to heal his broken heart, so really can we fault him for everything that went wrong? He did learn in the end, when he lost Fou4Mod and saw that he’d been stupid. It was good on him that he kept fighting and waiting after knowing his true feelings. I also felt bad for him at some point, and after he came around, was okay he ended up with Fou4Mod. Frankly would have been fine either way.

Baabin
Poor boy had me wiping pixelated tears from my screen during that episode when he got his heart completely shattered. No, baby was so sad. That scene broke me, made me form a protect Baabin squad, only to immediately regret it when he started putting Bua on the hook as well. Like, that was not on the bingo card child, reset. The whole time I was like: 'boy if you don’t stop your nonsense and love Bua back this instant, dafug you mean all that meant nothing?' No, but our kind-hearted baby immediately denounced Bua when Fou4Mod started his ugly crying, dude??? But I can’t fault him, the heart wants what it wants, so…

Super glad he later explained his reason, that yes he liked Bua back, of course he did, but he kept denying his feelings cuz Fou4Mod didn't like Bua and he didn't want to hurt his friend's feeling. Glad Fou4Mod came around on Bua, and was happy for Baabin, it's what those two deserves. If they hadn't end up together, I'd have been a bit sad.

Bua
I never blamed this dude for not liking Chian back. And after learning about his family situation I understood him more. He’s deprived of attention at home, and Chian gave him some, so of course he didn’t want to lose that. I don’t know about you, but you can get jealous when your friends get new friends and you start feeling like you are losing them. Yes, he was wrong for keeping him on the hook, but I felt so sad for this boy the last two episodes like... no honey, if he don't like foreigners with blue eyes and brown hair, it's alright, I don't like his stupidity either. In the end, I was glad he said his peace, and Baabin came to his senses, cuz if I had to see these 4 characters cried more ugly tears I'd have rioted.

Listen, the overall matter is that, all these 4 characters were wrong and right at one point, none of them were saints or completely green. But given that they were teenagers dealing with first loves and whatnot, I don't fault them for being dumb and downright mean in some cases. Now they’ve experience it, and they are more wiser for it. I hope.

I knew the very moment I finished episode 1 that this drama was going to be a favourite of mine. Everything from how it was filmed and directed, the document feel of it, to the cast, to the music, to the script made me enjoy it a lot. Sure it was very relatable and made me remember some stupid mistakes I made not so long ago, but I enjoyed it for that reason too. The way this was filmed put us right there in the moment with the characters, it felt so raw, and I liked that a lot. Look at that, Thai bls finally giving us something new to gosh over after a long time. Kudos director-nim.

Anywho, great show, the best out of Thailand this year so far. Looking forward to seeing more work from the 4 leads in the future. I recommend this to all bl lovers, and those who loved the director's previous work, it's worth a watch. Be warn though it's teenage stupidity and angst in full force.

For anyone wondering...Psalms 45v2...: 'You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.'

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to be connected to be alone....

I'm late to the "review-party" because I had to binge-watch the series again to make sense of it.

The style of cinematography with it's wide angle shots was often used to tell us, all the characters are connected but not really that close to one another. Also the communicated more via videos/chats then in real life. That felt very dystopian and scary in a way.

Only two characters had a romantic interest, while the other two compensated to fill a need they didn't know they had. Especially Bua was very manipulative to even offering sex to get the closeness he seeks but not understanding that his behaviour hurts anyone around him. F4M was also an ass as soon he saw Chian he completely ignored Baabin and while Baabin is sensitive to the feelings of people around him, he's too scared to confess to the person he loves. He was also the truest character of all, always advising in a soft or harsh words depending on the situation and never hiding his feelings except hiding his love for F4M.

This love-quadruple can drive some viewers on the brink of insanity. As everything unfolds Baabin says something racist to Bua to protect F4M feelings even when he already had feelings for Bua. So overall all characters are shitty in their own way but they do it not knowingly or in Baabins case out of an misunderstood feeling to protect someone.

There is also bad in the show. The story spans two years, but the time-jumps are often not obvious enough and the choppy subtitles (out of sync, missing sentences) do not help. If each episode would start with a time-jump it would have been easy, but there are many time-jumps in one episode.

The acting was very good, but for me F4M & Chian could not represent a teenager (16-18). They looked too old, so this aspect irked me a lot regardless of their performance. The first two episodes are also a bit too boring, it's really a slow burn and not much is happening. So they could even made that six episodes and cut a bit more, but maybe that should highlight the dystopian feeling for the viewers. But also showing an other side of Bangkok was refreshing.

Overall a very unusual show and something we should see more often, even when the romantic aspect is not really a focus of the series. Fluff is very rare, the story is an angsty teenager coming of age story where teenagers seek attention on social media instead in real life. Their friendships are more superficial then in depth but in the end they learn and overcome the struggles albeit with hurting a lot. If you think, I did not like the show you are wrong. It's a very good show especially considering it's from Thailand, breaking the normal school/university tropes, showing the characters in a raw unfiltered way.

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Situationship Survivor ~

I told sunset about you was my biggest hyperfixation in 2020 if some of you guys remember lol. And when I got to know that Boss Kuno's new series is coming out I was seated, but with no expectations. Well, who's surprised that this became my new hyperfixation ( i couldn't post much about it guys cuz I'm busy af with college) . He fucking did it again. I was obsessed with this series for 7 weeks and now I just can't move on. They've been carved into my brain.

Gelboys is a series of 4 teenagers living in Bangkok struggling with finding love and belonging in such a big yet lonely urban City. It embodies the Gen Z lifestyle the best. The story uses Bangkok as a city to tell the story. As a Gen Z myself, although I've never experienced these things personally I know it is portrayed as raw and real cuz my friends have been through similar instances.

The entire show is edited as if it's scrapbook which makes it unique and fitting to the characters preferences. The use of social media is used again brilliantly to tell the story cuz these character's lives are dependent on social media just like how most gen Z people are. It's literally filmed with an iPhone as an experiment and my god it is more beautiful than 90% of the shows out there. Each frame can be a painting kind of shit.

But deep down it's a show that explores the psyche of each character and the toxic pattern that many (MANY!!) queer young adults fall into.

Four4mod is a highschooler looking for romance. He's very much fixated on his appearance and looking 'cool' to his peers and because it's normal for his peers to be in a relationship he himself searchs to be in when. Then, he stumbles upon Chian who flirts with him and he constantly ignores the red flag behaviour from Chian because he believes he 'has' to be in a relationship to feel complete. He just wants to be loved.

Chian has a crush on his best friend Bua who's been giving him mixed signals for a year but he just cannot move on from him so he searches for another person to 'hang out' with to help him move on.

Baabin is four4mod's bestfriend but he has a secret crush on him that he cannot bring himself to confess. He's the only one causing himself misery because he can't bear to hurt others. Is he actually in love with him or just attached to the idea of being being in love with him ?

Bua is lonely teenager who just wants to love and be loved. If i describe him further, I'm afraid I'll spoil the series but through these four very complex yet nuanced characters, the show helps us to understand why people do things which can be described as well "red flag" in common language and never ever does the show indicate that you should "fix them" it's just asking for understanding their perspective.

The show is MESSY. It will just keep on getting messier but it's raw and you cannot look away from . The actors are brilliant. They really brought the characters to life, i was crying, throwing up with them and giggling when they were happy. I was literally screaming at my screen guys lol.

It's not an easy watch but definitely worth each second of your life! With just 7 episodes, it's has explored so many psychological topics and queer relationship dynamic so well. It's the fact that Boss kuno always gives me the right show at the right time. I watched ITSAY when I was figuring out if i am bisexual or not and having Teh , a bisexual main character being confused was like a hug to me. Gelboys again came to me at the right time when I'm in a talking stage with someone. ( It's very healthy guys so far dw not like here lol )

Anyways, this is absolutely became my new favourite and first 10/10 of the year which is pretty early since it's just March! Go watch it now! Atleast for the gorgeous nails!

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Perfectly flawed growth of teenage love, gel nails and heartaches.

જ⁀➴ᡣ𐭩 Gelboys go beyond the gender norms ᯓ★

There are two types of people who will be watching this. One who doesn't understand this culture and two who understand this culture. Both have one thing in common, i.e. you can't find any reason to dislike this series.

>Storyline: Like all coming-of-age stories, it also focuses on teenage characters who are keen to find their ways to love and be loved but don't want to commit and are also afraid to lose the person because they don't understand their own feelings. Sounds frustrating, right? Yes, this series is as frustrating as it sounds. The teenage angst keep you on the hook till the end. You can't even conclude your equation because it changes episode by episode, making viewers insanely frustrated.

>Direction: Boss Naruebet and Junior Naron, the creators of "I Told Sunset About You" and "I Promised You The Moon", again proved their supremacy in creating the best coming-of-age stories from Thai industry. It's the director's job to bring out the best of each and every detail of the characters and he succeeded. The intricate details of this whole thing just make this series more special.

>Acting: Where do I start? I just can't comprehend how much I could connect with the characters. Not because I belong to this generation but because these kids made me feel emotions that I didn't know existed. The portrayal of expressions of each and every emotion was so distinctively natural that at some point I forgot I was watching a drama, not a documentary. The actors were brilliant! I can see their bright future ahead.

>Music: 90s pop music and T-pop songs blended in the series so beautifully that it creates a nostalgic environment throughout the series.

>Cinematography & Vibes: I'm a sucker for beautiful camera angles and an artsy vintage feel and this series was all about getting those feelings from colorful stickers, fancy trendy clothes, cute gel nail colours and street-style art. It was a feast for the eyes. Funky and young!

>Why you should watch it?
This is the drama that draws the line between a BL and a coming-of-age story. From adolescence to adulthood, the journey of discovering oneself can be confusing, frustrating and difficult at times. Finding answers to questions that never arose is daunting and this series portrayed those dilemmas in a very delicate manner. Every episode makes you realize that Perspective is what makes things seem easier and complicated as well. Life, characters and heartbreaks, it's all about perspective. I'll always be in awe of the characters and the series for this unique experience. They made my heart flutter like no other.

Overall, a lovely series for those who are bored by watching tropey BLs and want to watch some unique and out-of-the-box content. This is perfect for you.

>Rating: No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any flaws. So I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be a 10. But I'll rate it 9.5 because my nails are not as pretty as theirs and I'm stingy af keke! ;p

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Authentic Vibrant Urban Teen Gay culture!

What a splendid show! It keeps you hooked from the very beginning and expands well much into the psyche of each character and development of their relationships. The natural progression and the fickle minded nature of teens, and even adults to an certain extent is quite realistically approached. The show gives quite an insight into the vibrant queer urban culture of Bangkok city, and takes you for a ride in an absolutely authentic and accurate life in Bangkok. From the BTS rides, to eating on street shops to taking Tuk Tuk rides and teens exploring the malls and cafes, and the obsession of high school kids with KPop and the extend to which one struggles for tickets and merch, its such an eye candy to watch.

At the same time the show dives deep into how years of longing for your crush can take an impact on your mental health and how it affects the relationship with others. The kind of obsession, hints, little actions, sacrifices and struggles just to get the attention of your crush, was so damn relatable! The placemaking, the hobbies, study groups, TikTok, all GenZ slangs all shot on an Iphone yet so aesthetically pleasing! The actors too being so young have done a phenomenal job in bringing alive their characters and makes you so badly empathize and yearn with them to get hold of their love interest. Bua and Baabin have stole the show with their impressive character development and acting!

The emotional turmoil of the characters can definitely sometimes get a bit on the heavier side and has the potential to drive someone to the brink of insanity! How I badly suffered with Bua and was genuinely scared he could hurt himself, but baby stayed strong! <3 There is no perfect character here, every person has their own quirks and setbacks like normal humans, and it makes you love and hate each character at the same time! Pacing can be a little slow at times but definitely makes up for it!

Definitely a must watch in the current sea of fluffy BLs out there!

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Not for everyone, definitely not for me

This review will likely make some people unhappy, but I did not like this show at all. I managed to finish watching because of completionism, but every week felt like a punishment.
Firstly, I have to give credit where credit is due. This show was visually interesting and not something we see a lot of. Personally, it was the type of aesthetic I don't find pleasing, but it was definitely different. It had many wide shots, which, although stunning from the composition perspective, made me feel distant from the characters. I appreciated the change in POV that happened between episodes to show various perspectives; the technical execution of production was on a very high level... It was just not enough to save this for me.
Acting was very well executed and believable; the whole feeling of the show was quite raw.

In short, if you're looking for escapism, look elsewhere.

As for the protagonists, I could not for the life of me feel any connection to this group of teenagers, which I found to be really unlikable. I simply did not care about any of the protagonists. Over an hour-long episodes just tired me out, probably because of a stark difference from my own teenage experience. It was the main reason, I felt completely disconnected from some Western shows like Skins or Euphoria. I was annoyed for the duration of almost every episode.

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Showing (not telling) the constant restlessness of wanting

What I like most is how the show does this really clever thing to tell the story without explicitly having its characters verbalise anything. 

Whenever a character is using someone to make someone else jealous, their eyes don’t lie. You can always tell who is interested in whom by tracking their gaze.

There aren’t that many BLs which explore the toxic side of what it’s like to be so desperate for attention. There’s Only Friends and I Told Sunset About You, with the latter expressing a restless teenage anxiety. And yet, I Told Sunset About You is nowhere as manipulative and toxic, though (which is why Gelboys is so awesome – because this is exactly what happens in real life).

The entire series is filled with ambiguous (sometimes slightly truncated) dialogue, teenage tension, and long scenes peppered with brief moments that are significant only when understood in context.

Gelboys excels at showing and not telling.

Extra bonus points for 10/10 visuals and music.

More reviews: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/

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It's now the time to support an ongoing BL Series!

Gelboys got me intrigued before watching it because of how good the editing was, when I watched a clip of it in TikTok. Where to watch? It is an original but IQIYI, so you must watch it there.

The story revolves around Fou4Mod, a typical student, who always carry a guitar and takes a train to go to school. He recently broke up with his partner, since he found-out through the girl's notification that she is cheating on him. He is part of a squad and is a close friend of Baabin. One day, he saw a nails shop, got intrigued, and went inside to get his nails done.

Since the day he got his nails designed, he's been taking care of it. One day, while washing his hands, Chian, a co-student who's also have designed nails, also washed his own hands in the same sink that Fou4mod was washing. That started the spark of their interactions. Chian followed Fou4mod on his social media accounts. They also went to the same nail shop to get their nails done.

Eventually, Fou4mod, became interested on Chian in a way that he changed his phone to an Iphone since Chian has an Iphone device. He also followed back Chian on all of his social media accounts.

Later in the episode, Fou4mod, showed signs of jealousy from Chian's attention, since the latter also has a best friend named Bua, who we saw in the earlier part of the episode is taking a kpop dance video in the public.

Basically, this story is the typical type of BL Series about a teenager falling in love.

The series is great, must recommended, and must watch because of how great the 1st episode of it. In terms of editing, the scenes, and the set designs, it was perfectly done. The staffs really did a great job in putting all together the technicalities of the scenes. I just hope that the next episodes will be consistent in terms of these aspects.

The casts are also all good looking and has a fresh vibe of an actor. The main lead, Fou4mod, also have a good body as we all saw in the first part of the episode (That shocked me, tbh!). Later in the succeeding episodes, we'll get to know more the story and characters.

What are you waiting for? Watch it now, as another episode is coming out later!

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WOW, Such a Genuine Series

The acting, in Gelboys, exceeds the acting in ANY BL series (and most non-BL series’), that preceded it! These, relative, newcomers (some literally), are giving off such natural, instinctual, almost improvisational vibes with their acting in this series—it’s just incredible. The story is basic, but realistic, genuine, really heart-felt, and down-to-earth. It’s so relatable to anybody, who has experienced one-sided love, wanting more than friendship, heartbreak, and everything in between.
I left out how relevant it is, too.
It’s like independent film-making at its finest. IMHO
I really can’t praise this show enough!

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