Dani

You Maniac is a BL that felt like a roller coaster to me: sometimes I loved, sometimes the flaws were hard to ignore. But would I say it's a bad BL? No. Definitely not. It won't please everyone, but it has both positives and negatives sides.

One of You Maniac's biggest triumphs is the chemistry between WilliamEst, and for a story that's 90% about the leads, it's important that the actor’s chemistry is convincing. If it weren't, it would have been a complete disaster. Their chemistry was totally INSANE. The naturalness and intimacy they showed in the scenes were beautiful to watch, and there wasn't a single moment that felt forced to me. They're good not only with intimate scenes but with dramatic ones too. Angst? A feast for them. They're a relatively new couple within GMMTV, but I think they have enormous potential. For me, they were definitely the best thing about this BL.

BarcodeKin are nice here and I liked TenPun as characters. They're cute as a couple too. But I think I'm part of the minority who didn't get that attached to them. Mainly because I didn't feel the script gave us room to really get invested in the characters, and their relationship was developed extremely fast.

Speaking of the script, it doesn't have big plot twists and may even seem boring to some, but the fact that the characters could be exactly like someone you meet at a club or someone close to you kept me interested. They're realistic. I even identified a lot with Moth at some points, and that made me more immersed in the story. That said, there are certain inconsistencies and a lack of depth in the characters that it can't be ignored at times and the flow of the story gets a little messed up because of it.

The portrayal of DeanMoth as red flag characters was one of the most debated things on social media and they’re definitely not the conventional red flag we often see in series, but that doesn't mean they aren't red flags. People need to deconstruct a bit of the image that's so often presented to us, because Dean and Moth are exactly the type we should avoid in real life. Being inconsistent in your actions, having a difficulty in committing, and having an emotional and affective block in your relationships IS a red flag, and I think it's interesting that we have a serie that shows something different from the conventional. Them not being the kind of red flag you expected isn't exactly a flaw of the serie.

Visually, the cinematography and production team were a win for me! I thought the sets were beautiful and each room had its own essence, especially in the character’s house. I really liked it!

Now, one of the things that bothered me most about this serie was the inconsistency in the script (as I pointed out above) and the director’s directing, especially in the romantic scenes. The problem itself isn't a lack of intimacy between the couple, they actually have a lot. The problem is that the director simply doesn't know how to develop scenes and has a need to cut them at moments when she should let them flow. WilliamEst, for example, gave their all and the chemistry between them is visible, but the director stops them from showing more. They themselves even complained about the cuts in the scenes, and there were SO many unnecessary cuts.

BarcodeKin's first kiss scene was also super weird. Could it have been the actor’s problem? Yes. But I feel that it was intentional too and the director wanted in that way because the angle itself was weird. Some scene transitions also didn't make sense and my impression was that the montage and editing were done in a rush. I think this production also lacked a bit more boldness and it's a shame they couldn't break away from the GMMTV standard.

Overall, You Maniac is a BL with certain inconsistencies in script and direction and I believe it could have been much better than it was. But the actors chemistry and the characters being so realistic kept me immersed in the story and I ended up enjoying the experience for most of the serie.

I wish to see WilliamEst in a better serie next year tho because they deserve something that is in their level. And I’m curious to see more of BarcodeKin!