Promising start, but loses its impact
5.5/10. I think this series had a strong and promising beginning, but it eventually fell flat for me. My main issues were the editing and the way the show tried to balance the police investigation with the romance. Unfortunately, these two elements didn’t blend well, and it weakened the overall impact of the story.The main premise was interesting, and the acting was decent at best, with some stronger moments here and there. I do wish we had seen more depth and background for the friend group, because I never felt fully invested in most of them—except maybe Jay, who stood out a bit more.
The biggest highlight of the series was definitely JoongDunk’s chemistry, along with the OST, which helped carry some emotional moments. Those elements made the show more enjoyable despite its flaws.
I’m glad it was available on Netflix, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have discovered it. Hopefully, this is a step toward making more BL series accessible on major international streaming platforms, giving them the wider audience they deserve.
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This review may contain spoilers
WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT...
huhhhhh???? wtffff was thatt, honestly i hated the finale so much, only i know how beared with this last episode, firstly i was all the way puifai's team, i knew it's her behind this and i was supporting her because yes that is what should've happened to all of them... IT MAKES ME SO MAD THAT WHY THHHH JAY HAD A HAPPY ENDING AND WHY DIDN'T JAY AND CHAMP DIE TOO!!?? if puifai is dead so does champ and jay deserves to be, lol jay is jade's brother so he has all the plot armors, HE HIMSELF CONFESSED EVERYTHING TO PUIFAI THAT HE KNEW EVERYTHING, the writers need to look at what they are writing lol, you have written the villains (i wouldn't even say villain) so smart throughout the series and this stupid in the end and you end puifai just like thatt???? HELLO JADE YOUR BROTHER WAS AN ACCOMPLICE TO SO MANY BAD THINGS WHICH HAPPENED TO PUIFAI AND YOU AREN'T RAISING A QUESTION?? i really tried to find good in this drama and this mystery, I JUST COULDN'T, i had a little hope that they would write something nice in finale something satisfactory but no it didn't happen... 8.2 FOR TS IS DIABOLICAL... and jd fans do not come at me because im not blaming them that the show is bad but they could've chosen a better script INSTEAD of this...IF WRITERS WANTED TO ADD SO MUCH SENSITIVE TOPICS AND MAKE PUIFAI THE VICTIM OF THEM , THEY SHOULD'VE ENDED IT THE RIGHT WAY not just puifai being stapped by champ lollllll and out of everyone CHAMP!!!! yeah puifai is so stupid that she doesn't know how to hit an axe lolll, and the doctor is so stupid that he didn't know he can pull the gun at his hand... and they are so stupid to leave jay outside the house to let kamin come and then jay tells them everything.... I CANNOT WITH THIS. i hope it gets rated what it actually is.. IT HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL, A TO-BE-NICE MYSTERY JUST WENT CUCKOO BANANAS....
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a complete letdown
this was maybe my saddest watch in a while, not because the show was sad but it being so badly done it made me so sad.I love joongdunk and was really excited. I love a murder mystery, a thriller and the og trailer really felt like this really cool balance of the push and pull of a relationship forming while working together in such a serious set of circumstances. The sad bit was that the final show was not that at all!
to start off with the good, I think the casting and most of the acting was really amazing! the acting is one of the things that kept me watching, otherwise I fear I may have dropped it. Another good think is Joong & Dunk chemistry, they do a good job at showing their tension pre-relationship and this pinning.
Now with the bad because there is quite a lot. I’m not one to think a show needs really spicy nc or kiss scenes or really either at all if the chemistry is good BUT their relationship literally hinges off of this sexual tension they have from the moment they meet and yet the show won’t even allude to the fact the they do anything more that give each other a peck on the lips and maybe kiss sometimes. Continuing with their relationship, it becomes such a weird intrusion in the show not because of them as a couple but because it becomes the main focus of most of the eps AND every time becomes a tonal shift. What I mean by tonal shift is that any time they have a sweet couple moment it seems like it’s a completely different show. ALSO why is the murder mystery bit treated as this side story??? The whole show feels sooooo dragged out but also wayyyy too short. They dragged out the romance and shortened the actual mystery. Now to the mystery, despite the reveal falling a bit flat to me my biggest gripe is with how it ended because wdym of all people Puth, Jay and Champ survived? OF ALL PEOPLE??/!!?!?! and don’t even get me started on the fact that half of the final ep was a cutie beach trip where right before the case is just done…
overall I’m just so heartbroken that to me this doesn’t really have rewatch value when my expectations for it being great were so high!
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I’m hooked
Not bad for a first episode. It does feel a little gimmicky at times, but it’s engaging enough to keep me interested. The actors are doing a solid job with what they’re given, and knowing the author, I’m hopeful the story will unfold in a strong, meaningful direction. Overall, I’m happy to see my favourites on screen and I’m definitely waiting for next week.Was this review helpful to you?
High Stakes, Sharp Shooters, and Suffocating Tension! ??
The premiere of Dare You to Death set the bar incredibly high! Here is my breakdown of why this episode was a total win:
The "Adversary" Spark: The professional friction between Inspector Khamin (Dunk) and Captain Jade (Joong) is intense. They refuse to back down or lose, which perfectly matches the energy of the OST "Dare You To Love".
The "Drunk" Act (Captain Jade): My absolute favorite moment! Joong’s acting was so convincing that he had me totally fooled until the moment he broke character. It showed just how clever and unpredictable Jade can be.
The Sharp-Shooting Solution (Inspector Khamin): Dunk as Khamin proved why he’s a top detective. Solving the case and taking that shot in one go was a powerful "boss" moment that showed his precision and fearlessness.
Cinematography & Vibe: The night scenes and high-stakes investigation vibe were top-tier. The production quality is clearly premium.
The Chemistry: The "enemies-to-lovers" tension is already suffocating in the best way possible!.
My Rating: The visuals and acting micro-expressions are easily 10/10
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Top Notch
Dare You to Death has been a gripping watch so far. The casting feels spot-on, and each actor brings depth and authenticity to their role, making the story even more engaging. The performances are convincing and keep the tension alive in every episode.What really stands out is the slow-burn mystery. The way clues are dropped subtly keeps you guessing and constantly questioning who the real culprit might be. The suspense is well-built, and it makes you eager to dive into the next episode.
I’m genuinely excited to see how the mystery unfolds and to finally discover who committed the murder. Definitely a series worth following till the end.
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it's a series not to be missed
you will shocked seeing the grading, acting, singing, action and all. the series is best in every aspect. 🤩😍🤩😍😍😍😍😍😍💟💟💟must watch atleast twice because it will be hard for you to admire all of it by watching it only once.
only one episode will bring you back to series and watch all of it.
The actors Joong and Dunk did a very good job. The way the enacted the characters and the chemistry between them loved it, it is out of the world for sure just watch and you will know what I am trying to convey
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Disappointing Thriller Ruined by Flat Character
I had high hopes for Dare You to Death as a fresh Thai BL thriller—enemies-to-lovers cops solving a deadly truth-or-dare mystery sounded promising. But honestly, it's a mess, and Dunk's portrayal of Inspector Khamin is a big part of why it falls flat.Khamin is supposed to be this sharp, stoic, newly transferred inspector who's all business and no nonsense. In theory, great contrast to the flirty Captain Jade. But in practice? He's just... boring. Stiff delivery, zero emotional range, and those "intense" stares feel more like awkward pauses than building tension. Dunk plays him like a robot with a permanent frown—impulsive one minute, coldly logical the next, but none of it feels genuine. It's like he's wearing a mask the whole time, and not in a mysterious way, just in an unconvincing one.
The series tries to sell him as competent and badass (that gun scene in ep 1?), but it comes off forced. He's not intimidating or intriguing; he's just there, reacting blandly while everyone else carries the energy. The romance buildup suffers too—his "rivalry" with Jade lacks spark because Khamin gives nothing back. No chemistry, no depth, just wooden lines.
Overall, the plot drags with gimmicky flirting overshadowing the thriller elements, but Khamin is the most underwhelming part. Dunk has improved in lighter roles before, but this serious one exposes his limitations hard. Skip this if you're looking for compelling characters. 1/10—wasted potential.
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Worth watching
Till now the first episode has been good . The characters , cast , story seems to be paced very well and the story seems to be different than the rest of the cliche stuff . The acting of the main leads especially joong archen , he has delivered the best as always , you forget for a moment that he's acting . The emotions are portrayed in a very real way and even dunk has improved a lot. I would suggest everybody to give it a try , you won't regret . I can see some of the reviews are so damn bad , I mean how can you judge a whole damn series just on the basis of 1 or 2 episodes atleast give it a chance to prove itself , this is just projected hate on it .And from when Bad characters in a series make a series bad ? This is just pure hypocrisy, if you're so sensitive you should just step out of this stuff respectfully.
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This review may contain spoilers
Okay, this is not good. This is really, really not good—so let me rephrase.I love JoongDunk. I truly do. I think Chimon gives the story certain elegance that wouldn’t be there otherwise. The female cast did a really good job, and the actor portraying Jung’s case-solving brother, Jay, was also very solid. Overall, I love JoongDunk’s chemistry, and I genuinely believe they are among the strongest Thai BL pairings out there. Joong’s acting, especially, is something many of us hold in very high regard.
That’s exactly why this series is such a disappointment.
The concept and the story had real potential, but somewhere along the way, that potential was completely wasted. The romance was technically healthy, but it was boring. I couldn’t emotionally or empathetically commit to it at all. The case-solving aspect was even worse—painfully dull, with no tension or payoff.
What did work was the color grading, which fit the tone well, and the overall production quality, which was solid. The simple structure of the story could have worked—but instead, it became the biggest weakness. There was basically no drama. I expected chases, internal conflicts, mysteries, stakes—something. Instead, everything felt flat and lifeless.
This series wasn’t a mess. It was just deeply unengaging. And I don’t think that’s only my issue—I think it failed both as a romance and as a crime-solving drama.
I also can’t ignore the acting and character dynamics. I’ve honestly never seen such weak work from Dunk before. During intimate scenes, I kept thinking, Where is he even looking? Why does this feel so disconnected? It constantly pulled me out of the moment.
I strongly believe that pushing Dunk into the superior position over Joong was a mistake. I’m not against role reversals—I actually love them—but only when the writing and direction can support them. Here, both characters were written far too bluntly, with no nuance or emotional layering. There was no room for a convincing role-switch dynamic to develop naturally.
Right now, Dunk shines much more in inferior roles. He simply isn’t strong enough yet to convincingly portray this type of detective character. That’s why I’m genuinely relieved that in their next series, Joong will once again be in the superior position. With proper writing and direction, that dynamic works far better for both of them.
As for the plot—there are countless “death” scenes where absolutely nothing is happening. Even when the show pretends something is going on, there’s no urgency, no danger, no emotional weight. The entire series could have been significantly shortened and heavily edited without losing anything meaningful.
And please—don’t even get me started on how nonsensical the police work is. There are dying children, and after the second death, no one thinks to assign protection? No detectives, no officers guarding potential victims? What kind of job are they even doing? The shooting scene is just as ridiculous: they storm into a building, start shooting random people without warning, and then proceed like that’s normal procedure, chase after the "biggest drug evil", one shoot him once - not concerned if he is still a danger, for the second to kill him on spot disregarding him as a potential future information source or as a person to be judged fairly, not killed off (taking justice into his own hands instead, not even attempting to immobilize him instead of killing him right away without any regret). And that is not even saying that wathever substance might the character have before was lost on "how they get rid of him"? It’s sloppy, illogical, and completely breaks immersion.
Without JoongDunk, this series would have been as boring as the EngfaCharlott Case. And while that one was over-dramatized, at least it was somewhat engaging. This series isn’t over-dramatized at all—but it also has no dramatization whatsoever.
The only thing I’m genuinely happy about is that another series is already in preparation—an office romance that’s completely different in tone. I really hope it reignites the passion between these two actors, because their behind-the-scenes chemistry is incredible. Unfortunately, this series gave absolutely no space for that chemistry to shine, which feels like a waste of time, space and talent.
And I also need to mention how poorly the romantic beats were placed. The kiss placement, the fun moments, and even the jokes were inserted in the strangest, most inappropriate or least interesting places. None of it felt organic. None of it felt earned. It wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t exciting, and it certainly wasn’t passionate—it felt like those moments existed only because they had to exist, not because the story or characters naturally led there. Everything felt mechanical and emotionally empty.
At this point, I’m honestly struggling. I don’t even know if I’ll make it through the last two episodes. And that, sadly, brings me back to my initial point: this series is not a mess, but it is completely disengaging. For a story that had so much potential—and for actors who are capable of so much more—this feels like a profound waste.
So yes—on every important level that matters to me, this series is a big no. And by “no,” I mean a complete failure. That said, everyone should form their own opinion. I’m sure some viewers will enjoy this kind of low-stakes, no-drama storytelling.
But for me? This was a huge letdown.
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Quite nice so far (UNFINISHED)
Haven’t finished the series yet so bear with me. One thing that I wanted to note is that I’m finding Dunk’s acting much stiffer than his previous works. I don’t know if he hasn’t adjusted well to his character, anyway I find him pretty “robotic”, his delivery is a bit plain and not really convincing, and personally it throws me out the immersion. Maybe it might change later on but I don’t know, it’s bugging me a bit right now.Other than that, I like the other characters,the story is convincing and a bit challenging (finally!) and I’m invested. Will be back after finishing it :)
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