Ranking Thai BLs I've Watched

TLDR: Romcom to the point of a sitcom. Ossan's Love objectively ranks first because of its overall technicality and execution.

Strengths: Story and Writing; Direction; Performance and Acting; Editing and Pacing; Emotional Resonance and Impact; Sound Design and Music; Cultural and Social Relevance

Weaknesses: Character Development

Overall: This show isn't meant to be taken too seriously. You'll find you'll really enjoy it if you approach it as a sitcom rather than a romance drama. Most of the show was amazing, up till the finale episode. Imo, this series would've easily been a 9/10 if it weren't for that very last episode. In episode 11, we see Mo choosing to run away (like he always does), and he gets prompted by 3 separate people (Ten, Chicha, and Khaitong), before he finally takes a leap of faith. This was well-written character development. In episode 12, all of this gets eroded. Mo once again chooses to run and sell himself a victim story, and then once again is prompted by Chicha and Ten to do the right thing. But only this time, he chooses to run away for real. No growth. Back to square one. Frustrating. But overall, this was my only issue with the entire series. Aside from the last ep, this entire series was a whole package deal. From humour, drama, romance, to music and sound design, it's a series that does well enough to appeal even to audiences who aren't in it for the delulu.

TLDR: Subjectively, Last Twilight is first in my heart. The entire series was very heartfelt and well done in general, and the end of episode 9 was a pure work of art.

Strengths: Story and Writing; Direction; Character Development; Performance and Acting; Emotional Resonance and Impact; Sound Design and Music; Cultural and Social Relevance; Originality and Innovation; Cinematography and Visuals

Weaknesses: Editing and Pacing

Overall: If you're looking for a typical love at first sight, full of sexual tension BL, then look away because Last Twilight is the last thing that fits that description. Last Twilight is a great portrayal of what a healthy adult relationship should look like. Helping a loved one navigate a disability is the main theme and the execution of it in this series is truly commendable. A couple of flaws here and there include the first and last episodes (forcing a breakup scene, as always) where the pacing and writing was a little rushed and confusing. I was also a little irked by Day's dad. I wasn't entirely sure what was the point of his presence in the story. He didn't value add in the slightest and whatever purpose he was there to fulfil could've easily been done by Mhok instead. If anything, he seemed there just to force some sad scenes. But it really did not land with me. I felt no emotions whatsoever whenever it was a scene related to him. That being said, this series is seriously underrated and a very worthy watch.

TLDR: White be pmo a little at times but this was overall such an intriguing and well produced series that it had me glued to the screen spam watching it

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Overall: The romance does not take the forefront of the show, and while it can be disappointing if that's what you're looking for, I personally felt the fullness of the other aspects of the show made up for it. It was clear that the creators of Not Me had set out with the intention to not just make a BL because it's the trendy thing to do, but to actually put effort into making a good show. While the show was very well made for the most part, I just wished they made White a little more convincingly Black. They could've given him certain talents that would've helped with the whole process like a black belt in Muay Thai, a braver personality, or knowledge on law or even motorcycles (but no he has nOTHING). Like dude, if you're gna have such a grand revenge plan, then at least try to commit a little more to the bit. I get that the point they were trying to drive home is that a more balanced approach (as influenced by White's differences with the gang) was what helped them successfully drive change, but it still doesn't change the fact that it was a little annoying watching him constantly thwarting the operations in the middle of missions. Lastly, I'm not sure if I just have a soft spot for First, but he's just such a talented actor. His eyes are so expressive and he's so good at crying (in a good way LOL).

TLDR: To-date one of the best thai BLs ever made, and it was aired in 2020 so you can tell how ahead of its time it was

Strengths: Story and Writing; Direction; Performance and Acting; Emotional Resonance and Imact; Sound Design and Music; Originality and Innovation

Weaknesses: Editing and Pacing

Overall: I wasn't too much of a fan of Wai and Korn at first (they felt too immature and childish), but eventually did grow to like them at the end of the show. Nanon's acting skills really puts into perspective how desensitized I've grown to the bad acting in thai dramas just to be able to watch some gay shit. The fact that Ohm can hold his own forte next to someone like Nanon also says a lot. The pacing of this series was great for the most part, though I do feel it faltered a little at the last 2 eps. I also really loved the way things played out with their parents, because it's one of the most realistic ways it usually goes with parents in real life. Now, for OhmNanon chemistry, I don't think I need to say much because everyone already knows about it. It's insane. Bursting through the seams. Unreal and unmatched.

TLDR: A very unique plot with great production quality

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Weaknesses:

Overall: Heading into this series I'd already kind of expected that I wouldn't be able to fully immerse in the romance given the context of it being a love scam. However, I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised that they let shit hit the fan for UNorth pretty early on, and for TimPai about halfway through. I'm glad they didn't wait till the very end to let the cat out of the bag because then I would not have enjoyed the entire series at all. That being said, I did feel like I could get behind UNorth's story a lot better than TimPai. For how elaborate Tim's scam scheme was compared to U, he should've spent much more time redeeming himself. Yet, I felt U actually went through more to earn forgiveness despite doing comparably less harm. I felt bad for Pai the whole show and he was heartbreaking to watch. I did appreciate that the show did its best to work with whatever it can do with such a plot. And overall, this show has great acting, production quality, pacing (ignoring how grandpa suddenly turned into a good man at the end), and was fun to watch.

TLDR: He likes him but he likes someone else. And he likes someone else. And he likes someone else... But don't worry they'll figure it all out by the end.

Strengths: Story and Writing; Character Development; Performance and Acting; Direction; Cultural and Social Relevance

Weaknesses: Emotional Resonance and Impact; Editing and Pacing

Overall: 3 CPs = 3 times the drama & 3 times the heartbreak. Tbh I'd procrastinated watching this and completely did not expect myself to like it as much as I did. I'd expected the characters to be a lot more avoidant and toxic (because duh its basically just a huge gay orgy). Surprisingly though, they actl started out pretty healthy. Until Boston decided to get the red flag ball rolling and the chaos starts. But even when shit hit the fan, it still remained very engaging and fun to watch as they showed decent ability to patch back properly after fights. The way the characters navigate relationships is far from what you'd expect from a typical romance drama but yet is much closer to what people actually are like in reality. Pacing was decent for the most part of the show but the addition of Boeing in the at end felt a little unnecessary and dragged out. Would've been much better if they stopped at 10 eps. But I love how they didn't force the characters to be unrealistic angels who just forgive everything at the end. I adore FirstKhao in every universe but I have to say, Sand is definitely my favourite out of all the characters they've played.

TLDR: Gets off to a pretty rocky start, but overall a decent series. JimmySea never disappoints.

Strengths: Story and Writing; Character Development; Performance and Acting; Cinematography and Visuals; Emotional Resonance and Impact; Originality and Innovation; Cultural and Social Relevance

Weaknesses: Direction; Editing and Pacing

Overall: The pacing fluctuates a lot in the first few eps. The writing and direction of the first few episodes was also a little bit awkward. But if you're able to watch past it, the show gets pretty good in the second half. The whole magic theme did not take as much of a central spotlight as I thought it would, but that's good in its own way too. Our male leads exhibit some slight red flag tendencies here and there, but generally are still pretty green. Notably, I really liked the way they had Inthu work things out by himself at the end when he felt jealous and slighted. First played his role very well, I was pleasantly surprised. But I also wonder what was the point of Nut's character (unsurprisingly, I don't even rmb the name of the character). He didn't speak more than 1 line for the entire first half of the show and even in the second half, he probably spoke no more than 5. Weird.

TLDR: A decent romcom with its biggest flaw being the slight overuse of cliche troupes, slow-mos and BGMs

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Weaknesses:

Overall: ArcArm's relationship was really well done but the other couples seem to pale in comparison. For starters, MarcPoon's acting and chemistry leave much to be desired. Their charactes (PondSand) also felt poorly written and executed, as if they were shoved into the story for the sake of it. KlaoWa were slightly better written, but overall still faced similar problems in that they were included just for the sake of it. The series would've done better without trying to squeeze in so many pairings. Given that there were already 3 main CPs, I rly didn't see the point of squeezing in 2 more. I swear they must've used the heart thumping BGM like 10 times in a single episode when it came to YothaGun. Their relationship felt a little rushed and all their moments were built off of just being really close to each other's face and gay panicking with the same BGM being played over and over. Though YothaGun did becoming more compelling to watch over time. FaifaWine also faced similar problems in terms of pacing but it could be attributed more to the script itself. They were often outrightly saying things that felt like a straight up confession, yet the story would continue as if they were still unsure of whether the other person liked them. This was confusing to follow. While all 3 main CPs had a pattern of kissing before establishing a rlts, FaifaWine’s kiss felt the most random and out of place and the most vaguely addressed. Which further adds to the confusion. Now, the flaws aside, the series definitely excels in certain things. It’s humour was decent and the overall background stories and personalities of our characters were well-crafted. The production and writing quality of this series is undeniable. Finally, my favourite scene of all would definitely be when Arm lost Arc’s jacket. A very simple yet impactful scene.

TLDR: The emotional depth of this series is honestly quite a pleasant surprise (given its tacky title)

Strengths: Story and Writing, Direction, Performance and Acting, Emotional Resonance and Impact, Sound Design and Music, Cultural and Social Relevance, Originality and Innovation, Cinematography and Visuals

Weaknesses: Editing and Pacing, Character Development

Overall: ThamePo kicks off to a rather slow start where it takes an entirety of 40mins into the first episode before something actually starts happening. Generally, the entire pacing of the show is also on the slow side. They pause a lot before saying their lines, and stare at each other a lot with nothing happening. I think the director was trying to set a mood or something, but honestly I felt it was overdone in scenes that didn't need it sometimes. They talk in circles a bit too much sometimes too. Some characters were done really well, the others, not as much. Thame is literally the biggest green flag ever. I really enjoyed him as a character. However, I wished they gave Po a more distinct personality. He felt a little too NPC and if you asked me to describe his personality, I deadass don't even know what to say. I'm also not sure what they were trying to do with Jun as a character. His personality was inconsistent and tbvh felt like too much of a plot device at times. All in all though, this series had a lot of the basics done well and is definitely a worthy watch.

TLDR: Stockholm syndrome goes real hard in here

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Weaknesses:

Overall: There's something about KinnPorsche's confession scenes that'll have you kicking your feet and giggling. It's easily the best part of the show (aside from the goated OST, ofc). It also has a rather engaging plot and premise but that's about all the strengths it has. The pacing significantly slows in the last quarter of the show, which leads me to believe 10 or 12 episodes would've been better. The fight choreography is mid, and the side couples are mid. I felt like Kim and Porchay had a lot of wasted potential and the entire process of them getting together felt a little rushed. It was like they met 5 times max (for like 5mins) and Kim doesn't even react much to what Porchay is saying but suddenly they love each other and are together. Don't even get me started on Vegas and Pete. I couldn't wrap my head around whatever that is. Tbvh their scenes were a little painful to sit through.

TLDR: Still watching... but I very much preferred the chaos and mind-fuckery of the first season over this one

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Weaknesses:

Overall: The relationships are still somewhat toxic and messy but it's clear they chose to move towards more orange flag behaviours rather than straight up red and black. The first season was a lot more mind-boggling and unpredictable, which was what made it such an engaging watch. With a plot like that, what grips viewers is typically how chaotic it can get. Perhaps the first season set a certain sort of expectation for me. But this second season really paled in comparison to it. Also, off-topic but Mix looked so good in here LOL

TLDR: This series is called Theory of Love because the love in here is only available in theory, not in actual form. Like.... Theory of Love? More like Theory of Unrequited Love LOL

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Weaknesses:

Overall: This series will help you to develop a fire resistant armour. Why, you ask? Because the slow burn will burn you until you eventually just accept that the fire will remain on your ass until the end of time and it is what it is. Everyone is busy pinning and crushing and nothing ever actually happens. I kid you not when I say ALL the characters are into chasing someone who doesn’t like them back. Not just our MLs, but the side characters too. The show gets off to a pretty promising start, with great production quality and amazing acting from Gun. However a couple eps in and it starts becoming clear that the goal of the show is to keep running in circles without any real progression at all. To put it simply, the show goes in a clockwise circle for 6 whole episodes and just when you thought things will start progressing in ep 7, the show simply u-turns and starts on an anti-clockwise circle instead. Don’t even get me started on Two and Bone, who also seem hellbent on chasing someone else’s girlfriend. To make matters worse, when Two finally gets the girl, he decides no I don’t want that anymore, let me chase after P’Un instead. It’s crazy. Overall, this series was of decent production quality and the ending confession scene was beautiful. However, be prepared to spin around like a teacup in a theme park ride because for the entirety of the show you’ll be going absolutely no where but in a god damn circle.

TLDR: Funniest thing about this series is that the side couple was a better couple to watch than the main couple

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Overall: I watched this too long ago, tbh I don't remember much of it heLPS-

TLDR: Pretty intriguing plot. Not the best show around but the plot definitely keeps you watching.

Strengths: Story and Writing, Character Development, Emotional Resonance and Impact, Originality and Innovation

Weaknesses: Direction, Editing and Pacing

Overall: FirstKhao and Joong's acting are great, but Dunk is just... well, Dunk. Ngl, Dunk's acting is hard to sit through and his obnoxious personality is annoying to watch, especially in the first few eps. But it's also what one would expect from Dunk so yea... The show was set in a rather intriguing premise but it was executed in a somewhat trashy and wattpad type of storytelling. The pacing of this series was fairly consistent up till the last few eps where it felt a little draggy. The ending episode where Mom randomly comes back for a bit, felt slightly redundant to me. And the barely pass-able CGI when KantBison was in Iceland was also questionable.

TLDR: Decent romcom at first but changes into a slow-paced slice of life in the later eps

Strengths: Direction, Sound Design and Music, Cultural and Social Relevance, Emotional Resonance and Impact

Weaknesses: Story and Writing, Editing and Pacing, Performance and Acting, Originality and Innovation

Overall: I enjoyed it up till episode 7/8 and then I started counting the episodes. While the show did pick back up in the final episodes, the pacing issues of this series is ultimately what made it a lot less enjoyable for me. However, one thing that stood out for me was the way Tinn's mother was written as a character. In that she starts out homophobic, but ultimately comes around because she lets her love for her son triumph over her fear of the unknown. Most times, you either get a really hateful or really supportive parent, nothing in-between like that.  I think it's rare to see the portrayal of this particular type of 'homophobic' parent in a queer series and I appreciate My School President for having that representation. I know this was GemFot's debut series, but I can't deny Gemini's acting leaves much to be desired. Especially when paired with a strong actor like Fourth, Gemini's flaws are further highlighted.

TLDR: Has some of the best couple pairings but somehow still manages to turn out quite badly

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Overall: This series showed so much potential in the first few episodes, only for it to completely waste all of it by doing absolutely nothing for at least 8 episodes. I really wanted to like this series because come on, JimmySea + OhmNanon with a side of AouBoom? Damn. But the script was simply abysmal. It was an empty husk. It was as if they had a great idea and then just went with it, without putting effort into coming up with actual content to substantiate the plot. They filled the entire middle episodes with spons and ads, and all the interactions / conversations were crafted around the endorsements.

TLDR: Still watching... the France landscape CGI was so bad it made me laugh a little. Seems pretty slice of lifey so far, not sure if I'll be bored watching it.

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Overall:

TLDR: I have no idea what they were trying to portray in this movie other than maybe the idea that everyone becomes a terrible person when money is involved(?)

Strengths: Performance and Acting, Cultural and Social Relevance

Weaknesses: Story and Writing, Direction, Character Development, Emotional Resonance and Impact

Overall: I honestly don't know what to feel about this movie. I think it was a valiant attempt in portraying the complexity of human nature. But I spent a lot of time being confused as to why the characters are doing certain things and thereafter either tagging my own meaning to those actions, or simply forgetting about them entirely. The ending scene where Mo and Thongkham were physically fighting it out, then Mo's husband and Jingna shows up, and everything is so messy and just, idk- What were they trying to achieve with that scene? What is the overarching theme of the movie? Love? Lust? Greed? Injustice? All of it? Shows that dive into the complexity of the human psyche are usually right up my ally. As a psychology major, I love when shows are able to capture the idea that every individual is too complicated to simply be portrayed as a one dimensional character. But, I'm also of the conviction that this movie tried to achieve this but majorly failed. It bit off more than it could chew and was just a really jumbled mess.

TLDR: Still watching but bruh everything is so damn slow. Nothing is happening lol. Also, it's so PG i literally watch this in lectures in school when I'm bored because I know nthg is going to happen. Not even a damn kiss.

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Overall: A heart transplant literally causing Tian to simp over Pupha is a ridiculous and a wildly non-scientific notion but I'll take it HAHA