This review may contain spoilers
Much ado about nothing
Oh dear. Where to beging. I am writing a review on the 2022 BL Thai Series "Cutie Pie", featuring NuNew and Zee as MC. The first thing coming to my mind after it FINALLY ended was what Bilbo said in Lord of the Rings: feeling thin like butter stretched over too much bread. And for once, I have a hard time to seperate my feeling for the story itself from the quality of the series, which I usually try to keep seperate.
If you ask me just personally, not trying a somewhat objective review yet: this was one of the most absurd selection of couples, behaviors, setups I have seen in a long time. I groaned the last three episodes, praying for a quick end because the "issue" went on and on and on.
But let me try to step back into more subjective terretory. The plot was that for some relatively illogical reasons a grandfather asked an older child to forever take cake of his grandson. Maybe if I watched it three or four times more I may get why anyone would do so, but then, I'd rather not. If there was a somewhat reasonable motivation, I missed it, for it made no sense at all. Everything seemed to hinge on this idea Kuea (NuNew) was seen as sort of inept to care for himself until a point he believed it about himself too, without any reason why HE would think that about himself for any other reason than everyone treating him like that. The grandpa arraging marrying an older guy, the mother keeping all things secret and his to be married Lian Wang (Zee) keeping him in this perspective. Something that so much borders gaslighting, that no matter with how many romance, music, kisses and "oh but I love you" I could not overlook.
The ending was kinda suggesting that both were to blame equally, since Kuen too had a life he hid from Lian, but objectively see this is quite some hogwash if ever I heard one. Kuen was expected to show a perfection, told so by his family and fiance, so he was pushed into this fear to hide his true self, whereas Lian enjoyed knowing all about him and letting Kuen make a fool out of himself being in the dark throughout almost the entire series. Above love there is truth and trust. I understand such things grow. And maybe I am just weary of this "childhood friends to lovers" theme, because TBH I find this quite unrealistic. We all know the friend zone issue. Maybe in 2022 it was okay, because it was an early time for BL, but I am used to this plot device from Manga and Webtoon for 20 years, and it has gotten old and implausible for me. And then people who want to stay together have to share some interests, have to have something in common beyond just love. Love is just not enough. And Kuen and Lian... what did they have in common? But then, this is an issue alas with many BL stories.
It also didn't sit well with me how strongly especially Lian/Zee was glued to the role of the "emotionless" top/seme trope I am so tired. I have seen NuNew and Zee in this prince thing, and I can't say how much the actual acting range of Zee is, but in both I felt it isn't much. A bit sad, a bit surprised, a bit serious, and I can't say if it's the actor or the directing, but it was boring. I am not fond of stoic tops. NuNew surely was acting very good, also a good singer and the highlight of the series. But 12 episodes of indecision... and then we have not one no TWO side couples with the same issue.
No comminication. I have seen Max who play Yi in several series, and somehow he always seems to play the same role: he stares like a villain, I never can buy his "I am in love" expressions in any series, and while his ship partner Nat who play Khon Diao has more to offer, it was the same stoic top vs overly emotional bottom just with even LESS story and logic. We had a third love story with Syn and Nuer, but I won't say anything about this other than it felt entirely superfluous to the plot whatsoever.
The problem I mainly had was it was unplausible to me. Keeping banale things a secret in fear to not fit to expected values may be plausible in Asia, but I can only speak from the lens I am accustomed to, and if at least the secrets had been super dramatic, I could understand. But loving to make music and studying car engineering instead of computer engineering and not being a doll? Wow, that surely is one set of secrets to be totally dramatic over... NOT! But worse, the transactions to save Kuen's family fortune doing it behind his back to "not trouble him"? BOTH mother and fiance? Seriously?
You know I grew up with a mother who to this day things I am quite inept do handle anything harsh, so MAYBE I am more sensitve to REALLY being ANGRY about the idea to being treated like that. But I would surely NOT marry a guy who treats me like that, love or no love. Overall, this series in long parts simply bored me. It was fluff, it had its moments, but I KINDA feel like I want my time back. I can't say it was horrible either. And before I tired you with an endless review I give it an okay
6/10
With an extra 9/10 to NuNew for acting and singing.
Was this review helpful to you?
