Boys in Love

Young Love

Cuteness overload at its finest! This series delivers a simple yet endearing narrative that follows teenagers as they navigate the complexities of first love and self-discovery. While the storyline doesn't break new ground in the BL genre—it borrows familiar tropes and setups—it still manages to charm with its sincerity and youthful energy.

What truly elevates the experience is the fresh casting. The young actors bring a raw authenticity that fits their high school roles effortlessly. In particular, the tandem of Kim and Mon stands out—undeniably magnetic, their chemistry leaps off the screen and pulls you right into their world. Every glance, every stolen moment between them feels genuine, and it's the kind of on-screen pairing that makes you root for a spin-off or standalone series just to see their dynamic unfold further.

Yes, there are scenes that feel derivative if you’re familiar with other BLs, but there’s a comforting nostalgia in that too. The mix of cuteness and light thrills keeps the pace lively, even if the emotional beats play it safe. Still, the series knows its audience and embraces its sweetness unapologetically.

Overall, it’s a fun watch that doesn’t try too hard and doesn’t need to. It knows what it wants to be—and for what it is, it delivers. I’m giving it a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars.

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My source of serotonin

This show is for everybody who loves cute and innocent stories. I was not expecting much because I didn't know any of the actors but let me say that the boys DELIVERED everything I wanted.

GMM and other companies should cast new actors more often, it is really nice and refreshing to see new talents! I also enjoyed their outfits, especially Tar and his colourful wardrobe.

I have sometimes problem to finish shows where the characters end up together quite soon but this one was not the case. Despite their problems, the boys somunicated PERFECTLY. I would say that they are way more mature than a lot of adults in shows. The problems they faced were really real life problems which young adults meet on their way to adulthood. The whole struggle to find the university which is right for you, to find your passion and sometimes also having to say goodbye to your highschool friends/sweethearts.

Shane and Kit were amazing with their different personalities and lifestyles, they made it work and proved that we ought to fight for what we want. They showed us the power of being there for each other and that you do not have to follow your dream/or have one to be happy.

Kim and Mon were the right example of communicating being the key to healthy relationship. They managed to solve their problems the very same day they faced them. They brought the ideal maybe too much idealistic relationship and I was there for it.

I LIVE for Tar and Per, the silent existence of their feelings. I really believe that they have something more for each other BUT I think that Tar is not really sure about his sexuality (he mentioned something about searching for yourself while he was talking about Mon with Kim). I LOVED the scene where Per gave Tar the rose for Valentine's day. Their dynamic was right on spot and they were so funny.

And I cannot forget to mention our lovely teachers whose chemistry was palpable. I would maybe prefer to see how they became a couple and the evolution of it but I surely enjoyed every scene they had.

This show (similar to Only Boo!) is a prove that there is no need of a story ful of NC scenes to make people enjoy watching it. The purity and cutness of first love can be as engaging as show full of plots and drama. I hope that we get more similar stories set for example in different times and places. I also hope for the actors to star in something together again because their chemistry (not only between couples but the whole friend group's chemistry) was amazing. And secretly I also hope for show with Ken and Paul as the male leads.

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I'm not even in the core age demographic for this show

and yet, I genuinely loved it so much! I think it was a spectacular show to introduce the new gen of GMM boys.

I will say, Tan and Nut getting a neck kiss, but no sloppy makeout session may be my thirteenth reason.

Other than that, I think it genuinely healed something in me to watch genuine queer joy in a high school setting. Especially with the worldwide tone towards queer kids currently being so vitriolic.

I really thought all the characters had such a sweet dynamic, even outside the core couples as well. Though Mon's mum constantly switching up her attitude was confusing admittedly.

Special shoutout to Mick for his acting. He's already so talented, I'm excited to see where his career goes.

P.S. If anyone @ GMM is reading this, let Podd and Papang makeout freak nasty style or I will be rioting. Justice for the geriatric gays.

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Lazy screenwriting and stupid plots

I just really feel sad for the actors who are AMAZING, cute patooties, and deserved better characters. Well, let's go. My reviews are always structured by: screenwriting, directing, and acting (while touching on other points in the middle).

It's one of the worst screenplays ever, and it's disappointing because their screenwriting team (they are from a crew) is one of the best, and the people involved were some of my favorite artists in this field. That’s probably why it's so unsettling to me that they were so lazy with this script.

"Boys in Love" doesn’t really have conflicts. Which is not necessarily the problem, it’s weird for a Y-series, but it’s NOT the problem. The problem is that you don’t see development or growth in any of the characters. They start the series and end the series THE SAME, which is a big problem for a series that was supposed to talk about growth, falling in love as a teenager, and the conflicts that come with it (like choosing your career path, dealing with frustrations, etc.).

The main couple, KitShane, was so badly handled. Like… everything was rushed, they get together so early, and then NOTHING relevant happens. KimMon was INSUFFERABLE, and I feel bad for Aston (Mon) to have to play such an idiot. ALL OF THEIR fights were stupid, and not silly like teens fighting, it was plain stupid, and I don’t think they grew out of it during the series. The only fun thing for me in the teens was the couple that wasn’t even a real couple in the series, PerTar (they are hinted but they don't really happen). They were pretty funny, and Tar was my favorite character. He was so funnyyyy. AND PODDPAPANG, I LOVED IT. OLD MAN YAOI. I just feel sad that they weren’t better developed.

Their acting was amazing… especially Luke (Kit). He was a good surprise to me since I didn’t know what to expect. Chokun (Kim) is also amazing, but I already knew my boy. Aston (Mon) was such a good surprise to me. KenPaul were adorable in their little screentime. Podd and Papang, amazing as ALWAYS. Such a good crew for such a BORING series, it makes me a little sad.

At least the series was BEAUTIFULLY filmed. The scenes, scenarios, AMAZING, as always. Parbdee Studios are THE BEST. Everything was cute and beautiful. The directing was okay, but with that script, not even a miracle would save it.

Boring. It would be a 4 if I didn’t like the boys so much.

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Fluffy and watchable, but somewhat weak in coflicts

This series chronicles the last year of high school of Kim and Mon, and Shane and Kit. They are all pretty good-looking and had decent chemistry and acting, although apart from a few dry kisses, there wasn't much sexual action.
There were also some other people -- two teachers who were friends, and Tar and Per, a student friend pair.

Pros:
* A lot of teenage troubles were explored in a gentle manner -- love (of course), possessiveness and jealousy, academics, toxic competitiveness, teens' independence, parental authority, money, alcohol use, parental neglect, finding jobs and tough choices in selecting future paths. Come to think of it, it is as if the producers wrote down a checklist of teen issues to cover and checked all of them!
* Homophobia was mentioned as something that used to exist in the past. Brief dive into sexuality (M/M or M/F) conflict.
* Good-looking actors.
* Slightly older gay couple also shown.
* No crazy jealous exes.
* Luke Peemsan Sotangkur as "Kit" and Chokun Puttipong Jitbut as"Kim" were very charming.
* No homophobia or violence or angst.
* One scene with slight dub-con, which I loved, but it did not go far enough.

Cons:
* A bit lacking in deeper and longer lasting conflicts, although I am not at all a fan of angst or homophobia or violence. May be like in 1000 stars or Bad Buddy.
* Aston Ratiphat Luengvoraphan as "Mon" did not act as convincingly as the others.
* Mick Metas Opas-iamkajorn as "Shane" had a tough roll, but he pulled it through only barely.
* Would have liked more shirtless touching scenes. The cuddling was too tame.

Calls for a Skyy-like episode to let us know what happens to these great couples in the future.

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your cutesy but event-free high school drama!!

Just from the headline,you can tell my exact thoughts on Boys In Love.I,personally,love high school dramas so much whether they include a plot or not.This was the absolute situation in this series.You see a bunch of high schoolers go through their teenage life and some minor issues in their relationship but somehow the series manages to captivate the viewers with the fluffy cutesy environment in the high school.
Each of the characters had their very own personalities and I could relate with them all and couldn't blame anyone when a misunderstanding or a problem occured because they were just teenagers and were trying their best in life.So,my #1 comment upon the drama would be that you shouldn't expect much from the storyline since nothing really happens.You won't be upset in any episode because even when the couples fight they casually talk it out and fix things quickly so if you just finished a gut-wrenching drama this could be your choltry.Now,this is the relationship dynamic I want to see in Korean BL's too.Even when the couple is mature and old enough to talk things out they always choose to run and hide but look at these young Thai boys,they fix things quicker than anybody else!
Normally,I don't like BL's with many couples but all of the couples in this series had their unique features and own plots.Starting with the teachers,they were absolutely adorable and showed maturity in the series among all those teenagers.I really thought Tan resembled Shane throughout the series,not looks-wise but personality-wise.They're both nerds and more on the awkward side comparing to the others.Their relationship built up perfectly and I enjoyed watching their scenes a lot,especially when they were going on a vacay and Mon brang Tan,and Nat said "So you just brought another child for me to take care of".I don't know why but I had found it really sweet.
We had Shane and Kit,and they served face cards!Both have great visuals but they weren't the best at acting unfortunately.Mick(Shane) needs to improve his sobbing face immediately because it seems unnatural and spoils all the sad vibes.However,I liked Luke's(Kit) acting more especially on the scenes were he was confused and looked so in love.His smile is so tender and he knows how to use it.They were my favorite couple on the series but Shane's constant ignorance and self-doubt on their relationship pulled me back from being a fan of them.It feels like he'll avoid Kit for the rest of his life,he still seems cold sometimes and don't feel comfortable being in a relationship.
Then we had Mon and Kim..They were my favorite couple on the series however I didn't really like the way their relationship started.Kim is falling in love with everyone and he's lovesick.If Mon had rejected him he would probably move on after 3 days and find a new person to fall in love with and the cycle would continue.But after their relationship formed and obstacles started to occur in their relationship,Kim seems so dedicated to being in a relationship with Mon.I adored the way how he prevented Mon from drinking and brought him home at 10 because his mom said so.There's just something that confuses me a little.In one scene,when they were in the library,the series is hinting us that Kim tends to be afraid to be seen in the public.I thought they would focus on that and explain Kim's thought when he did that but they ignored it!It's not that I want to watch a couple more scenes about a boy who's afraid to be seen because we already had that a lot with Kim and Shane but also I'd prefer everything to be explained and not remain superficial.If you started something then the show must go on!Other than that this couple was too sweet with how clingy they were to each other and Aston's smile and dimples just made everything a hundred times better.
Last but not least we had Per and Tar and how I wanted them to be together.I'm not mad that the storyline didn't cover their relationship though because I loved their scenes as friends and just a shade above that.Probably,if Per had confessed his love to him Tar would open up too but I think that part is left to the viewers discretion.
Other than these four sweet couples and their relationship,I didn't find any problems in the production.The series is filmed well ,I mean there's nothing to say much.
Overall,I liked the series so much however acting could be better for everyone but there wasn't something that irritated me specifically.The plot is bland but cute and captivates you so I would recommend it but I wouldn't rewatch it.

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Gen Z in love

The series starts slow first episode setting up all the pieces, but picks up starting in the second episode where all the personalities, ambitions, and interests of the various characters interact and bring change in each other. Shane finding out he actually enjoys shooting people in lazer tag to even shooting his own team mates was funny as was the twist that the Literature club aren't stuffy elitist and they actually also enjoy Doremon that Kit brings up as his fave and gives his reading on it and Mon was only upset because he didn't give it a chance before and instantly got the comics to read so that he can also do a analysis on it. Kit is truly down bad to do math problems all night. It was a funny bit that Per happens to be a photo taking savant, taking less than a millisecond to get the perfect school ID portrait. It's cute that Shane and Kit can walk around holding hands though later he has to overcome his hang up of showing PDA around his friends. These kids have so much energy to wake up early to go to school together. Shane already has a an Olympian study schedule though, so he's already up. The way that the issues with the parents are presented and resolved is very nice.

The high schooler seniors act more mature in terms of knowing and expressing their feelings than the math teacher Tan who is ridiculously passive aggressive against the nice fellow teacher Nat who he has a crush on. Nat doesn't care that Tan stalked him though, he's finally found a guy that won't easily ditch him like all the other people he dated, but doesn't want to become serious. Tan is 29 and Nat should be around the same age, so they are about the tail end of the millennials age range. Tan is envious about how the kids are able to be themselves freely in this era with them able to abolish school uniforms and in terms of sexuality. Though Tan can't change his teenager years, he can make the most of the current times and he and Nat has a sweet, supportive relationship where Nat helps Tan realize that he needs to like himself more. It's nice to see the actor Papang get to play outside of the mature or bad guy type he's usually cast in. The scene where goes full soft boyfriend voice to ask a favor from Nat was really cute, his glasses magnifying the puppy eyes to completely melt Nat. Tan is able to give advice to Shawn not just as a math mentor, but also as an intergenerational queer one.

It's good modeling of communication for both the parents and the kids. It was a surprisingly strong point in the series where they don't villainize the conflicting views of the parents and the children nor the views between the two romantic partners. The only exception is Shawn's dad trying to sell the condo and break up their kids who have been raising each other and the lives they have created for themselves as part of the war against his ex-wife, using them as pawns to choose sides. Shawn has taken up a lot of responsibility even though he has two older siblings to take care of himself and them, even having to cover the bills. In the end his elder siblings at least help him by stepping up to confront their parents, his sister laying down the ultimatum that she will change all their last names if their dad makes them leave. There was a sweet and funny scene where Kit begs his parents to send off the Germany to study with Shawn and his dad sharply refuses, but reflects on it and tells Kit his remorse in not being supportive and is willing to send him, but Kit says he changed his mind, not mentioning that Shawn is no longer leaving and that heartfelt moment ends abruptly. It's so sweet that his dad was willing to do that for him. Mon and his school counselor mother though, love each other. He's unhappy with always moving around for her job, but she's not as controlling as she seems like she would be. She chastises him for not properly introducing his boyfriend when she came in and was the one ignoring Kim's calls all night. She's also having a friend get together when Kim takes Mon hope promptly before 10 and is happy that Kim is someone who keeps his promise.

Both Shawn and Kit each had different instances of thinking about where they want to continue their future, either abroad or at home, which major or which school or city, as does their friend group. It's all major life decisions that all 18 year old high school seniors need to make. It's nice that the characters learn that they can't control how it will turn out, but they will make a decision they won't regret not having tried. I like that Kit has some genuine concerns other than his boyfriend as reasons for not wanting to study in the US like the language and cultural barriers. I feel like for him, he made the right choice to study his major in Thailand instead. Surprisingly Kim with the average grades and scholastic performance gets excepted into the engineering program, which makes sense he would accept it and he and Mon become the long distance couple. Per the sports guy finds his calling in the film/communications department where Tar is also applying though unsure of which specific part he wants to specialize in. I'm so shocked that he never considered something in fashion as he's definitely the fashionista in the group. I loved his little dachshund shoulder bag and the shrimp plushie attached to his blue cap.

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A cute simple series

Since I’m not the biggest fan of high school-focused BLs, I initially didn’t think Boys in Love would be a series for me. But with the overwhelming response online, I decided to give the show a go — and I’m glad I did.

Boys in Love was a fun show, with a strong young cast and a variety of romantic dynamics. At first, I thought Kim and Mon would be my favorite storyline. The beginning of their romance — love at first sight — was really cute. But as the series went on, I started to realize that Mon is a bit of a toxic boyfriend. Kim spent a good part of the series afraid Mon would be mad at him about something — and that fear made sense, since Mon was angry in almost every situation. Still, in the end, they are a cute couple and deserved to end up together. Major kudos to Aston and Chokun — GMM really found a strong pairing there.

I don’t have much positive or negative to say about Kit and Shane. They weren’t bad by any means, just a bit bland. I didn’t see much chemistry between Luke and Mick either.

Podd and Papang as Nut and Tan were the perfect mix of chaotic and sweet — a fun, older couple dynamic. I really liked the vibe of their workplace romance. It’s a shame we didn’t get a kiss! I’d love to see them paired again in another series.

Now, Per and Tar were the biggest surprise for me when I look at the series as a whole. You could see from episode 1 that Per might have feelings for Tar, who was completely oblivious. But after the party and their kiss, things began to evolve, and you could tell — bit by bit — that they weren’t just the “single guys hanging out” anymore.

I loved the scene where Tar confirms he’s not mad about Per being his first kiss. But my favorite moment was the rose scene in the finale, where Per pretty much confirms he has feelings for Tar. I really hope GMM gives Ken and Paul another series soon.

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More than the sum of its parts

This was kind of unexpected, but I liked watching this show despite its flaws, which would normally make me dislike a series. There is plenty of things that should have lowered my rating of "Boys in Love", but somehow – to my surprise – they did not. It's not that the positives of this show outweighed the negatives; it's a little more complicated. I think that the things I liked about "Boys in Love" combined, creating an added value – like an overall feel or vibe of the show, which was generally sweet, nice and made me return to it week after week.

What I enjoyed
- As for characters – Kit. He's the only one with something roughly resembling an arc, in course of which he becomes a model boyfriend. As one of only two characters he has some depth: he seems easy going (bordering on spoiled rich kid), but it’s really a pose, a mix of light nonchalance and distance to himself; he's very well aware of his own shortcomings and flaws, finds motivation to change, but nevertheless doubts whether he’s doing good enough. He's flawed and therefore relatable, but – at the same time – he does all the important things the right way: supporting Shane both before and after they become a couple, being open about his feelings, respecting boundaries set by Shane, displaying patience and caring about someone else more than about himself. If I was back in highschool, I'd love to have a boyfriend like that.
- As for couples – Per and Tar. They are there for comedic relief, but most of their interactions were much more than goofy fun, having an emotional layer and a tension of sorts. All four couples in "Boys in Love" are build following the same principle, joining two very different guys; when it comes to internal dynamic and chemistry, Tar and Per work the best. They are almost always together (without being together), they visibly enjoy each other's company and there's that unspoken (yet palpable) thing between them. I loved their last scene in ep. 12, played completely straight (despite the smiles) and serious, with an absolute minimum of lines – a very good conclusion of their plotline.
- As for writing – which is mix of decent and subpar – there's a handful of scenes that deserve special mention: Shane's and Kit's final scenes in ep. 2 and 5, Kit's talk with his mom in ep. 12 (every kid should hear what she said at least once from their parents), the entire "Mr. Tan and Mr. Nut move in together" sequence in ep. 12 and the aforementioned final scene with Per and Tar. Well crafted, they left me with a lasting impression. Another thing worth mentioning: the writers decided to give more attention and screen time to two out of four couples; with only 12 episodes available that was the right move.
- As for performances – Luke and Paul. Very different, but both are solid (although I'm not entirely sure whether Paul was acting or just being himself), with good screen presence and competent delivery. Would like to see both of them in other roles.
- The setting - a vibrant, lively world inhabited by a lot of people. While a school of some type is probably the most common BL setting, it doesn't have to be boring nor mundane - and it isn't here. Same applies to the rest of the world in "Boys in Love" - which is full of students, teachers, family members and ordinary people (compare that to some recent BLs of the same company which seemed to be taking place in a desert or right after an apocalypse - in a desolate, empty world) creating proper background for the story and its characters. I also noticed and appreciated the variety and relatively high number of locations where the show was shot.
- The show – despite some issues I indicated below – was an easy watch.

What I did not enjoy.
- As for characters – ex æquo Mon and his mom. Paraphrasing the proverb: like mother like son. I commented earlier (before ep. 12 aired) on MDL on how Mon is written by indicating that in ep. 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11 he was either displeased, annoyed or outright angry because of something Kim did, he was (at least initially) unsupportive of Kim’s efforts to become a model student in ep. 8, failed to notice (or ignored/disregarded) Kim's insecurities in ep. 10 and helped Kim with something only once (in ep. 8). He’s like the anti-Kit – the last person I’d like as a boyfriend. Mon seems focused primarily on himself and likes when things happen the way he wants them to happen – his mom is exactly the same. They may not be outright toxic, nevertheless both are unlikeable – no idea why a main character and a supporting character are written like that.
- As for couples – Mon and Kim. No idea why anyone would call them "KimMon" – Mon is the dominant side of the relationship from the very beginning and the power imbalance is glaring; I don't recall seeing anything like that in a GMMTV show before. While I understand that including such a relationship might be good for authenticity sake, I do believe that the show should have addressed this issue as a problem and at least tried to solve it.
- As for writing – how undecided the show was. Either by accident or on purpose, "Boys in Love" wants to be too many things and tries to include too many topics for its own good. It would be much better if it was just a rom-com (either more lighthearted and fluffy or tilted towards comedy); instead other story elements were introduced (sometimes – shoehorned in, like the conflicts in later episodes) and the show became less coherent when it comes to genre and message.
- As for performances – Mick. He was boring and wooden like a plank throughout the whole show; he can't act and I'm not sure anything can be done with it.

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Sweet but Sleep-Inducing

Boys in Love had all the potential to hit the right notes—a sweet coming-of-age love story navigating high school and those cute moments of first love. While it had those elements, it was poorly executed overall. It’s supposed to be a feel-good romance, but for the most part, I found it dull and lacking depth.

Shane and Kit. They're polar opposites in every way, from the way they think to the way they dress. Shane is uptight and follows the rules, while Kit is carefree and playful. As the series progresses, both characters experience growth: Shane learns to loosen up and have fun, while Kit becomes more focused on his studies. They slowly fall in love, especially as Shane tutors Kit, helping him with his academics. I appreciated how their relationship evolved and how they found comfort in each other. Their love story was sweet and fun, but after a while, the series did a poor job of keeping me engaged. It felt dull and boring, especially in the later episodes. The chemistry was there, but the pacing just wasn’t.

Kit and Mon. It was clear from the start that Kim and Mon liked each other, but their relationship was frustrating. Kim struggles to show his true emotions, only ever presenting a happy-go-lucky side, and he has a hard time communicating his thoughts with Mon. He’s constantly trying to keep the peace, fearing that if he expresses himself, Mon might break up with him. Because of this, Kim never feels like he's truly himself. Mon, on the other hand, is a bit more studious and serious. His mom works at the school, and he has a strong sense of justice. It feels like he’s the boss in the relationship. Their dynamic became more annoying than endearing, especially with Kim's inability to communicate and how Mon reacted in those situations; it was just so frustrating. I just couldn’t get invested in them.

Per and Tar were cute, but unfortunately, they didn’t get much screentime. The series tried to explore their relationship after the kiss dare at the party, but it felt like a missed opportunity. There was some decent communication between them afterward, but it wasn’t enough to give their relationship any real depth. They never fully explored their potential as a couple, and in the end, one of them gives the other a rose, but that’s about it.

The love story between Nut and Tan, the two teachers, was sweet but ultimately boring. They never even shared a kiss, which felt like a huge letdown, especially when compared to the other teenage couples. Their scenes were brief, but I liked them the most because they had some nice chemistry. Tan’s clumsiness and over-the-top reactions added a bit of fun to the show, while Nut’s calm and sensible nature was a nice balance.

I understand that most of the actors were relatively inexperienced, but the acting here really needed work. There were times when the performances felt flat, and it was hard to connect with the characters because of that.

Overall, Boys in Love was a bit of a waste of time. While there were some sweet and fluffy moments, most of the show felt like a bore. I found myself constantly checking my phone and struggling to stay engaged. The plot wasn’t particularly heavy, just boys falling in love, but it was poorly executed and didn’t make it worth the watch. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you're really into fluffy romance and don’t mind feeling bored for most of it. But if you enjoy the genre and can look past its flaws, go ahead and watch it, just don’t expect much.

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