This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential
I would have rated this even lower had I watched the final two episodes. I went in with such high hopes after watching the trailer—visually grand, high production budget—but the execution was simply not it. It baffles me how Mandi channel consistently refuses to invest in good screenwriters.
The show started off promising, even compelling up to episode 7. But once we reached episode 8, the storyline began to stagnate. Dragging things out for no reason, stalling progress—it was a frustrating watch. And then Chakrii got shot… and somehow everything fell apart even further.
I didn’t even bother with episode 13 after reading the wave of disappointment on Twitter. But what crushed me most was Ava leaving the competition—the very cause she was passionately fighting for, thrown away just like that. It screamed internalised misogyny. Why would a woman who stood so strongly for women’s rights suddenly back down? It felt like a betrayal of everything her arc was building toward.
And don’t get me started on Ramilpaytai. The chemistry? Electric. The potential? Immense. But the writers simply refused to explore their backstories, motivations, or even deepen their relationship. What a waste.
NetJJ had almost no screentime—again, wasted potential. ZeeNunew’s dynamic, while cute in the beginning, became repetitive and flat as the story progressed.
Also, why do Thai BLs keep glossing over major political and emotional issues like they’re nothing? The king was clearly a tyrant, and yet Khanin forgives him in the end? Why? What was the point of the rebellion? The prince who actually fought for justice died without fanfare, without purpose. It felt hollow.
A visually rich show that had all the right ingredients but lacked the one thing that truly matters: a strong, coherent script.
The show started off promising, even compelling up to episode 7. But once we reached episode 8, the storyline began to stagnate. Dragging things out for no reason, stalling progress—it was a frustrating watch. And then Chakrii got shot… and somehow everything fell apart even further.
I didn’t even bother with episode 13 after reading the wave of disappointment on Twitter. But what crushed me most was Ava leaving the competition—the very cause she was passionately fighting for, thrown away just like that. It screamed internalised misogyny. Why would a woman who stood so strongly for women’s rights suddenly back down? It felt like a betrayal of everything her arc was building toward.
And don’t get me started on Ramilpaytai. The chemistry? Electric. The potential? Immense. But the writers simply refused to explore their backstories, motivations, or even deepen their relationship. What a waste.
NetJJ had almost no screentime—again, wasted potential. ZeeNunew’s dynamic, while cute in the beginning, became repetitive and flat as the story progressed.
Also, why do Thai BLs keep glossing over major political and emotional issues like they’re nothing? The king was clearly a tyrant, and yet Khanin forgives him in the end? Why? What was the point of the rebellion? The prince who actually fought for justice died without fanfare, without purpose. It felt hollow.
A visually rich show that had all the right ingredients but lacked the one thing that truly matters: a strong, coherent script.
Was this review helpful to you?
