1
Forget Seinfeld — this show is really about nothing
I’ll start by saying this: Duang With You is a show I genuinely enjoyed (excluding the last episode).
Which is confusing, because on paper, it checks off almost all of my pet peeves:
1. First, the fillers. So many fillers. For a 12-episode series where each episode runs over an hour, there’s really no justification for how padded this felt. We get Duang sitting solemnly. Qin sitting solemnly. Duang and Qin sitting solemnly together. Entire sequences of a basketball game, a gym lesson, multiple meals (ramen, shrimp and rice, shrimp and rice again and again), and even full songs played out in their entirety.
2. Instead of a cohesive arc, the show operates on a chain of “and then” storytelling. One thing happens, and then another thing happens, and then another without much connective tissue. The final episode is where this becomes impossible to ignore. With most of the already-thin plot wrapped up, it turns into a string of loosely connected scenes rather than a conclusion.
3. Side characters don’t help. It’s clear there’s an attempt to give as many DMD artists as possible screen time, but many characters appear once and add absolutely nothing to the story (or what little there is of it).
4. Unnecessary side couple (?) The Jaime–Marvis side story is particularly baffling.
If North–Otto are supposed to function as a couple, the show doesn’t really commit to it—
there’s virtually no intimacy shown. And if characters are going to switch to English because that's their mother tongue , it would help if the delivery felt natural. As it stands, the English dialogue is awkward at best and completely unnecessary at worst. It would have been better to have just dropped that part (from the novel, i guess?) all together.
5. infantilization. I can tolerate a certain level of childish charm (it’s part of the genre) but Duang With You pushes it past the breaking point. At times, it feels less like watching adults and more like watching animated characters in human form.
And yet, I still had fun.
A big part of that comes down to Teetee, who absolutely steals the show. His character could have easily been unbearable, a walking red flag with no nuance, but instead, he’s magnetic. Even at his worst, you’re rooting for him. That kind of charisma isn’t something you can manufacture.
The “fearsome threesome” (Duang, Jaime, Pae) is another highlight. Their dynamic is exactly the kind of friendship representation I wish we saw more often: messy, loyal, and genuinely entertaining. I could have watched an entire series centered just on them.
TeeTeePor also bring something special. Their chemistry, both physical and emotional, feels natural and grounded in a way that cuts through the show’s more artificial elements. There’s real potential there, and I’m excited to see where they go next.
And while the musical numbers can feel forced, they’re undeniably well done. When the show leans into them, it actually works.
Overall, Duang With You is a fun, frustrating, oddly charming series that desperately needed tighter editing and a clearer narrative focus.
It’s a show about nothing, but sometimes, that nothing is still enjoyable to watch.
Which is confusing, because on paper, it checks off almost all of my pet peeves:
1. First, the fillers. So many fillers. For a 12-episode series where each episode runs over an hour, there’s really no justification for how padded this felt. We get Duang sitting solemnly. Qin sitting solemnly. Duang and Qin sitting solemnly together. Entire sequences of a basketball game, a gym lesson, multiple meals (ramen, shrimp and rice, shrimp and rice again and again), and even full songs played out in their entirety.
2. Instead of a cohesive arc, the show operates on a chain of “and then” storytelling. One thing happens, and then another thing happens, and then another without much connective tissue. The final episode is where this becomes impossible to ignore. With most of the already-thin plot wrapped up, it turns into a string of loosely connected scenes rather than a conclusion.
3. Side characters don’t help. It’s clear there’s an attempt to give as many DMD artists as possible screen time, but many characters appear once and add absolutely nothing to the story (or what little there is of it).
4. Unnecessary side couple (?) The Jaime–Marvis side story is particularly baffling.
If North–Otto are supposed to function as a couple, the show doesn’t really commit to it—
there’s virtually no intimacy shown. And if characters are going to switch to English because that's their mother tongue , it would help if the delivery felt natural. As it stands, the English dialogue is awkward at best and completely unnecessary at worst. It would have been better to have just dropped that part (from the novel, i guess?) all together.
5. infantilization. I can tolerate a certain level of childish charm (it’s part of the genre) but Duang With You pushes it past the breaking point. At times, it feels less like watching adults and more like watching animated characters in human form.
And yet, I still had fun.
A big part of that comes down to Teetee, who absolutely steals the show. His character could have easily been unbearable, a walking red flag with no nuance, but instead, he’s magnetic. Even at his worst, you’re rooting for him. That kind of charisma isn’t something you can manufacture.
The “fearsome threesome” (Duang, Jaime, Pae) is another highlight. Their dynamic is exactly the kind of friendship representation I wish we saw more often: messy, loyal, and genuinely entertaining. I could have watched an entire series centered just on them.
TeeTeePor also bring something special. Their chemistry, both physical and emotional, feels natural and grounded in a way that cuts through the show’s more artificial elements. There’s real potential there, and I’m excited to see where they go next.
And while the musical numbers can feel forced, they’re undeniably well done. When the show leans into them, it actually works.
Overall, Duang With You is a fun, frustrating, oddly charming series that desperately needed tighter editing and a clearer narrative focus.
It’s a show about nothing, but sometimes, that nothing is still enjoyable to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
