This review may contain spoilers
I'm not watching season 2 because season 1 was a major disappointment
Admittedly, Blank had an interesting storyline, and is the second GL I’ve seen in full. Well, at least one season. “Yes or No” raised the bar for me, and that’s insane because that aired in 2010. I’ve yet to see a 2020s GL that can top it. Anyway, back to “Blank”: I do have to give it credit because, despite leaving a trail of mess, headaches, and me pausing every few seconds to roll my eyes, it did hold my attention, and I managed to binge all 6 episodes in 2 days.
What I enjoyed:
- The 16-year age gap. I don’t mind age gaps as long as both characters are of age. I also find that a large age gap can sometimes make stories more interesting. This was one of them.
- The plot twist was interesting; Anueng being the daughter of Phiangfah, Nueng’s old high school friend. On top of that, Nueng also gave Phiangfah a mixture that would cause Phiangfah to miscarry Anueng. The show called it a miscarriage, but let’s call it what it is, an abortion*. When I saw that there was a 16-year age gap, I figured Nueng would be tied to Anueng’s parent(s) somehow, but I never saw the attempted abortion coming. That had my jaw on the ground.
- Sam and Mon are the only voices of reason throughout this entire show. They are also the only healthy couple.
What I didn’t enjoy:
- Nueng and Anueng’s stupidity and meanness towards everyone but each other. Nueng and Anueng share one brain cell most time. Jealousy was also a toxic trait between them. Supposedly, Nueng is a smart character, but her way of thinking, acting, and decision-making is borderline stupid. She’s a very hypocritical character and not likable. For a 36-year-old, she lacks communication skills and the ability to understand other adults. She keeps blaming her grandmother for her sister’s death, yet, we don’t know how her sister died, except that the grandmother’s high expectations of Nueng somehow led to her sister’s death. If it really was that serious, how come Sam and their grandmother got along fine? Nueng is incredibly selfish. It’s all about her wants, needs, freedom, and life. Her grandmother brought up a great point when she said Nueng can’t say it’s her life when she’s relying on Sam for financial support. Then, a few scenes later, Nueng dared to criticize what their grandmother said when the only one who raised her voice at that surprise gathering was Nueng. Nueng has a habit of going from 0 to 100. She’ll be calm the next, yelling the next, sarcastic the next, then back to yelling. I hate Nueng around her grandmother, and I hope her grandmother left her nothing. Funny how Nueng thought their grandmother’s wealth would and should be split in half. No, all of it should go to Sam and Mon. Whether Nueng was joking about it or not, her saying that goes against her wanting to live a normal life away from her upbringing and bloodline. Also, Phiangfah was right when she said her mother only took Nueng’s side because she learned of Nueng’s background. Because why else would you entrust your granddaughter, whom you were so strict about, to someone whose educational successes were false and exaggerated? Apparently, a Master’s Degree was so boring that Nueng dropped out. Nueng also didn’t speak as many languages as Anueng’s grandmother had heard. I despise Nueng for using her grandmother to fend off Anueng’s grandmother after having said she’d never go back home until her grandmother died. Which she did return to sneak around, then repeatedly said, “I’ll never set foot here until she dies”. Then, a few scenes later, Nueng said she always keeps her word. Uh…no girlfriend…ya don’t. Faye did well for Nueng, but Nueng is a very hard character to like. Nueng also used the beautiful doctor friend of hers to make Anueng jealous just because Anueng was with friends..? Girl, grow up.
Women acting cute is part of a lot of Asian’s culture, and as a long-time K-pop and K-drama fan, it didn’t bug me that Anueng was cute, child-like, and even immature at times. But when you mix immaturity with stupidity and jealousy, it becomes a recipe for disaster and gets annoying fast. I could stand Anueng’s clinginess (although I wish she had respected Nueng’s space), but when she was being mean to everyone but Nueng, that’s when I quit giving her immaturity grace. If she were 12, her temper tantrums and hatred towards her parents may be understandable, but she’s 20, turning 21. Her being born prematurely won’t help her here. Anueng is incredibly unreasonable and spoiled. She backtalks, doesn’t consider others’ feelings, has no manners, and is blinded by her obsession with Nueng. The other characters telling us Anueng is a good girl over and over again didn't stick because she really wasn't a good girl. When she opened the door and hit Folk’s face, her reaction to him was slow and terrible. Why did he like her? Beats me. Anueng doesn’t have many friends, not only because her grandmother prevents it, but Anueng herself doesn’t seem to care about the "friends she has". And when Folk wanted to be friends, her reaction was odd and full of hate. Mind you, she doesn’t know he stalked her. Folk appeared a maximum of 5 times, and his relationship with Anueng was nonexistent. I thought we would get moments of Anueng and Folk building a solid friendship to showcase that Anueng is likable, sociable, and easy to approach, even if she was older than the rest of her peers, but her bright smiles and energy were all fake and reserved for Nueng. Anueng is not willing to give her parents chances, but willingly and gladly using them was so annoying for a 21-year-old.
- The support characters are a bitter afterthought. Anueng’s mother, who hasn’t seen Anueng in person in 20 years, uttered Nueng’s name instead of her own daughter. At the party, Anueng was surprised to see her mother, but never interacted with her. Anueng hates her mother but has spoken to her over the phone over the years..? There wasn’t any tension there, but somehow meeting in person caused on-and-off tension..? Also, why did Nueng and Anueng ditch Anueng’s unconscious grandmother in the middle of a room filled with people who didn’t even react to the situation? People fainting at parties is normal in “Blank” or what?? Who was with Anueng’s grandmother if Anueng and Phiangfah were busy talking to Nueng? Chet and Phiangfah didn’t talk after Nueng revealed that Anueng is Chet’s daughter…? Anueng complained about Chet flirting with and almost marrying Nueng when girlie came after and is ‘dating’ her father’s former fiancée? Wtf? Am I in the Twilight Zone? I was also 100% for Chet getting a DNA test. If Nueng didn't care about Chet, why wouldn't she agree on one? After all, Chet never knew he had an offspring.
Nueng, who knew nothing about Anueng and Folk’s relationship other than Folk being Anueng’s stalker and having a crush on her, was comfortable letting him tag along on the trip. Nueng’s not-so-good reason was that Anueng would be bored with three adults, when, mind you, this was supposed to be about Anueng spending time and bonding with her parents. Instead, Nueng let Folk join just so he could go through the haunted house and rides with Anueng. If the point of Folk was just to prove that Anueng isn’t afraid of ghosts like her mother, then they could have done that with her and her parents instead. I don’t understand why the show insisted on keeping Anueng separated and building a solid relationship with her parents.
Can I complain about Phiangfah a little bit? So she named her daughter after her frenemy because she wanted to remember who her enemy was. Sorry, come again? You gave your daughter a similar name to the very person who wanted you to abort her…? Are you trying to remember the name of your enemy or trying to traumatize your kid? She said it was fate that Nueng and Anueng met…? If you ask me, I’d say it’s karma but okie. Phiangfah is a walking contradiction, one moment she hates Nueng, one moment she admires and is smiling sweetly at Nueng. Boy… these characters are messed up in the head. Also, everyone swept it under the rug that Nueng gave Phiangfah a mixture to kill her child. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, this idea went against both of them!
Nueng complained about being the go-to when it came to Anueng's family's disarray, but she's also the one who constantly inserts herself and has made Anueng 100% reliant on her. Nueng's lack of self-awareness is baffling for her age.
- The constant use of flashbacks of moments we just saw. Flashbacks, if done and used properly, can be a very powerful tool and entertaining moments in series with 6-16 episodes of film. But Istg, flashbacks took up a lot of screentime in the earlier episodes. If Nueng can’t act like she’s falling for Anueng without support from flashbacks, then throw the idea of it away.
- The acting was a hit and a miss. The lead actresses have range, but they’re also very restricted and can be stiff at times. They don’t always play off of each other, and that could be chalked up to inconsistent direction or poor editing. But the scene at the amusement park, for instance, was odd because although the main and support characters were supposedly facing each other, their dialogues and expressions didn’t play off of what the other had just said. Chet clearly said he was Nueng’s father, but apparently Anueng, who was just standing across, didn't hear that. Then, when Nueng said Chet was Aneung’s father, there was a brief moment of shock. Chet said something, then Nueng ignored him and went on to talk about Folk instead. It seemed like they filmed the lead and support characters separately and tried to sew the scenes together, but it didn’t flow naturally. There were also moments when the actors/characters were shocked by something they'd already heard. For example, Anueng being told that Nueng almost married Chet. When that came up again, she had a bigger reaction and although she did say it just kicked in for her, it still didn't justify the reaction. Second example, when Nueng told Chet that Folk had a crush on Anueng before inviting him to the 'family' and Anueng's birthday trip, Chet reacted. Then at the park, when Nueng told Phiangfah Folk has a crush on Anueng, Chet gave another big reaction. Small things like that lessen the enjoyment of the show because it's not natural and realistic.
- There was no real character growth. Nueng never acknowledged her relationship status with Anueng, even after they consummated it, and Anueng won’t respect Nueng’s space. I find it funny that Nueng is so stubborn about living her life and fighting her grandmother on a woman-woman relationship, but she’s the one constantly pushing Anueng away. They are toxic, masked with makeup. The side characters aren't acknowledged and show no growth as well.
- Transitions between some scenes were choppy. I don’t remember if I liked any of the songs or even the opening and closing OSTs. BGMs were abruptly cut off, too, instead of fading out as the next scene kicks in. Establishing shots got annoying, like the parking lot of Nueng’s place and Anueng’s house.
- Nueng, being of royal blood, didn't mean much or come to fruition. The only one who lets her status get in her way of relationships is herself. Her constant "you're not worthy" isn't her grandmother talking, but Nueng herself.
- The plot twists were horribly executed. Since the series’ plot and storyline took a backseat and the show became heavily character-driven, it would have been nice to see some good character growth. Unfortunately, the second half of season 1 proved to be more and more annoying, with the characters getting dumber. If you shut off your brain, this might be a decent watch, but otherwise, 2x will save you a long way.
Sam and Mon are the reason I’m upping my rating to a 4 from a 3.
What I enjoyed:
- The 16-year age gap. I don’t mind age gaps as long as both characters are of age. I also find that a large age gap can sometimes make stories more interesting. This was one of them.
- The plot twist was interesting; Anueng being the daughter of Phiangfah, Nueng’s old high school friend. On top of that, Nueng also gave Phiangfah a mixture that would cause Phiangfah to miscarry Anueng. The show called it a miscarriage, but let’s call it what it is, an abortion*. When I saw that there was a 16-year age gap, I figured Nueng would be tied to Anueng’s parent(s) somehow, but I never saw the attempted abortion coming. That had my jaw on the ground.
- Sam and Mon are the only voices of reason throughout this entire show. They are also the only healthy couple.
What I didn’t enjoy:
- Nueng and Anueng’s stupidity and meanness towards everyone but each other. Nueng and Anueng share one brain cell most time. Jealousy was also a toxic trait between them. Supposedly, Nueng is a smart character, but her way of thinking, acting, and decision-making is borderline stupid. She’s a very hypocritical character and not likable. For a 36-year-old, she lacks communication skills and the ability to understand other adults. She keeps blaming her grandmother for her sister’s death, yet, we don’t know how her sister died, except that the grandmother’s high expectations of Nueng somehow led to her sister’s death. If it really was that serious, how come Sam and their grandmother got along fine? Nueng is incredibly selfish. It’s all about her wants, needs, freedom, and life. Her grandmother brought up a great point when she said Nueng can’t say it’s her life when she’s relying on Sam for financial support. Then, a few scenes later, Nueng dared to criticize what their grandmother said when the only one who raised her voice at that surprise gathering was Nueng. Nueng has a habit of going from 0 to 100. She’ll be calm the next, yelling the next, sarcastic the next, then back to yelling. I hate Nueng around her grandmother, and I hope her grandmother left her nothing. Funny how Nueng thought their grandmother’s wealth would and should be split in half. No, all of it should go to Sam and Mon. Whether Nueng was joking about it or not, her saying that goes against her wanting to live a normal life away from her upbringing and bloodline. Also, Phiangfah was right when she said her mother only took Nueng’s side because she learned of Nueng’s background. Because why else would you entrust your granddaughter, whom you were so strict about, to someone whose educational successes were false and exaggerated? Apparently, a Master’s Degree was so boring that Nueng dropped out. Nueng also didn’t speak as many languages as Anueng’s grandmother had heard. I despise Nueng for using her grandmother to fend off Anueng’s grandmother after having said she’d never go back home until her grandmother died. Which she did return to sneak around, then repeatedly said, “I’ll never set foot here until she dies”. Then, a few scenes later, Nueng said she always keeps her word. Uh…no girlfriend…ya don’t. Faye did well for Nueng, but Nueng is a very hard character to like. Nueng also used the beautiful doctor friend of hers to make Anueng jealous just because Anueng was with friends..? Girl, grow up.
Women acting cute is part of a lot of Asian’s culture, and as a long-time K-pop and K-drama fan, it didn’t bug me that Anueng was cute, child-like, and even immature at times. But when you mix immaturity with stupidity and jealousy, it becomes a recipe for disaster and gets annoying fast. I could stand Anueng’s clinginess (although I wish she had respected Nueng’s space), but when she was being mean to everyone but Nueng, that’s when I quit giving her immaturity grace. If she were 12, her temper tantrums and hatred towards her parents may be understandable, but she’s 20, turning 21. Her being born prematurely won’t help her here. Anueng is incredibly unreasonable and spoiled. She backtalks, doesn’t consider others’ feelings, has no manners, and is blinded by her obsession with Nueng. The other characters telling us Anueng is a good girl over and over again didn't stick because she really wasn't a good girl. When she opened the door and hit Folk’s face, her reaction to him was slow and terrible. Why did he like her? Beats me. Anueng doesn’t have many friends, not only because her grandmother prevents it, but Anueng herself doesn’t seem to care about the "friends she has". And when Folk wanted to be friends, her reaction was odd and full of hate. Mind you, she doesn’t know he stalked her. Folk appeared a maximum of 5 times, and his relationship with Anueng was nonexistent. I thought we would get moments of Anueng and Folk building a solid friendship to showcase that Anueng is likable, sociable, and easy to approach, even if she was older than the rest of her peers, but her bright smiles and energy were all fake and reserved for Nueng. Anueng is not willing to give her parents chances, but willingly and gladly using them was so annoying for a 21-year-old.
- The support characters are a bitter afterthought. Anueng’s mother, who hasn’t seen Anueng in person in 20 years, uttered Nueng’s name instead of her own daughter. At the party, Anueng was surprised to see her mother, but never interacted with her. Anueng hates her mother but has spoken to her over the phone over the years..? There wasn’t any tension there, but somehow meeting in person caused on-and-off tension..? Also, why did Nueng and Anueng ditch Anueng’s unconscious grandmother in the middle of a room filled with people who didn’t even react to the situation? People fainting at parties is normal in “Blank” or what?? Who was with Anueng’s grandmother if Anueng and Phiangfah were busy talking to Nueng? Chet and Phiangfah didn’t talk after Nueng revealed that Anueng is Chet’s daughter…? Anueng complained about Chet flirting with and almost marrying Nueng when girlie came after and is ‘dating’ her father’s former fiancée? Wtf? Am I in the Twilight Zone? I was also 100% for Chet getting a DNA test. If Nueng didn't care about Chet, why wouldn't she agree on one? After all, Chet never knew he had an offspring.
Nueng, who knew nothing about Anueng and Folk’s relationship other than Folk being Anueng’s stalker and having a crush on her, was comfortable letting him tag along on the trip. Nueng’s not-so-good reason was that Anueng would be bored with three adults, when, mind you, this was supposed to be about Anueng spending time and bonding with her parents. Instead, Nueng let Folk join just so he could go through the haunted house and rides with Anueng. If the point of Folk was just to prove that Anueng isn’t afraid of ghosts like her mother, then they could have done that with her and her parents instead. I don’t understand why the show insisted on keeping Anueng separated and building a solid relationship with her parents.
Can I complain about Phiangfah a little bit? So she named her daughter after her frenemy because she wanted to remember who her enemy was. Sorry, come again? You gave your daughter a similar name to the very person who wanted you to abort her…? Are you trying to remember the name of your enemy or trying to traumatize your kid? She said it was fate that Nueng and Anueng met…? If you ask me, I’d say it’s karma but okie. Phiangfah is a walking contradiction, one moment she hates Nueng, one moment she admires and is smiling sweetly at Nueng. Boy… these characters are messed up in the head. Also, everyone swept it under the rug that Nueng gave Phiangfah a mixture to kill her child. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, this idea went against both of them!
Nueng complained about being the go-to when it came to Anueng's family's disarray, but she's also the one who constantly inserts herself and has made Anueng 100% reliant on her. Nueng's lack of self-awareness is baffling for her age.
- The constant use of flashbacks of moments we just saw. Flashbacks, if done and used properly, can be a very powerful tool and entertaining moments in series with 6-16 episodes of film. But Istg, flashbacks took up a lot of screentime in the earlier episodes. If Nueng can’t act like she’s falling for Anueng without support from flashbacks, then throw the idea of it away.
- The acting was a hit and a miss. The lead actresses have range, but they’re also very restricted and can be stiff at times. They don’t always play off of each other, and that could be chalked up to inconsistent direction or poor editing. But the scene at the amusement park, for instance, was odd because although the main and support characters were supposedly facing each other, their dialogues and expressions didn’t play off of what the other had just said. Chet clearly said he was Nueng’s father, but apparently Anueng, who was just standing across, didn't hear that. Then, when Nueng said Chet was Aneung’s father, there was a brief moment of shock. Chet said something, then Nueng ignored him and went on to talk about Folk instead. It seemed like they filmed the lead and support characters separately and tried to sew the scenes together, but it didn’t flow naturally. There were also moments when the actors/characters were shocked by something they'd already heard. For example, Anueng being told that Nueng almost married Chet. When that came up again, she had a bigger reaction and although she did say it just kicked in for her, it still didn't justify the reaction. Second example, when Nueng told Chet that Folk had a crush on Anueng before inviting him to the 'family' and Anueng's birthday trip, Chet reacted. Then at the park, when Nueng told Phiangfah Folk has a crush on Anueng, Chet gave another big reaction. Small things like that lessen the enjoyment of the show because it's not natural and realistic.
- There was no real character growth. Nueng never acknowledged her relationship status with Anueng, even after they consummated it, and Anueng won’t respect Nueng’s space. I find it funny that Nueng is so stubborn about living her life and fighting her grandmother on a woman-woman relationship, but she’s the one constantly pushing Anueng away. They are toxic, masked with makeup. The side characters aren't acknowledged and show no growth as well.
- Transitions between some scenes were choppy. I don’t remember if I liked any of the songs or even the opening and closing OSTs. BGMs were abruptly cut off, too, instead of fading out as the next scene kicks in. Establishing shots got annoying, like the parking lot of Nueng’s place and Anueng’s house.
- Nueng, being of royal blood, didn't mean much or come to fruition. The only one who lets her status get in her way of relationships is herself. Her constant "you're not worthy" isn't her grandmother talking, but Nueng herself.
- The plot twists were horribly executed. Since the series’ plot and storyline took a backseat and the show became heavily character-driven, it would have been nice to see some good character growth. Unfortunately, the second half of season 1 proved to be more and more annoying, with the characters getting dumber. If you shut off your brain, this might be a decent watch, but otherwise, 2x will save you a long way.
Sam and Mon are the reason I’m upping my rating to a 4 from a 3.
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