This review may contain spoilers
Did not disappoint. Better than most GL'S I've seen
“Us” is one of the rare GL series that didn’t leave me disappointed. Nearly every element—from the cast and acting to the OST and storyline—was well executed. I found myself genuinely enjoying the experience, never regretting the weekly wait for new episodes.Let me start by listing what stood out:
Visual Aesthetic
The colour palette and lighting were absolutely beautiful. A lot of GLs I’ve seen, like GAP, tend to overuse bright lighting and overlook proper colour grading (no offense to GAP fans—I don’t dislike the series). But “Us” found a perfect balance. The visuals were warm, cozy, and easy on the eyes. This is something GMMTV is generally good at, but “Us” handled it particularly well.
Direction:
P’Fon continues to prove herself as a remarkable director. Her work keeps improving, and when comparing “Us” to her previous GL, “23.5,” the growth is evident. The direction felt more confident and nuanced this time around.
Romance:
The romantic storyline was genuinely well done. I would rate it a solid 10/10. There were no overly cringey moments, no exaggerated flirting, and—importantly—no romance catered to the male gaze. The interactions between the leads felt natural and mature, and the chemistry between the cast was convincing enough that it felt real.
Music:
The soundtrack was strong. P’Emi and P’Bonnie both have amazing voices, and the music elevated the emotional tone of the show.
Story & Characters:
The story was adapted thoughtfully. I’ve heard that the original book had P’Kawi turning into a problematic character by the end, but the show wisely avoided unnecessary drama like that. P’Kawi became one of my favorite characters. Sing did an outstanding job portraying a character who is quite different from his real-life personality, and he made it believable.
That said, there were a few areas that didn’t quite meet expectations. As much as I love the series, I do feel that the pacing toward the end was off. It started at a good, steady pace, but as the series neared its conclusion, things felt rushed—especially the divorce arc, P’Kawi’s suicide attempt, and Grandma Bua’s death. While we did get scenes focusing on P’Kawi’s recovery, I felt they didn’t go deep enough. A more detailed look at his treatment and healing process would have made his arc even stronger.
Grandma Bua’s death also felt sudden. While it wasn’t entirely unexpected, it might have been better placed earlier in the story to allow for better emotional pacing. I also felt the second couple, Nene and Oat, didn’t get enough attention. Nene's character development came far too late, and while the scene where Khem sends men to her house was intense, I’m unsure whether it was entirely necessary. Still, I can understand why it was included.
Overall, Nehe deserved a more consistent arc, and the second couple’s storyline could have used more development throughout the series. That said, I’m glad the writers made changes from the original Chao Planoy novel—most of the changes improved the story rather than adding unnecessary drama.
One thing I appreciated was how the series handled Khem. He remained a constant antagonist, rather than receiving a last-minute redemption arc like in many other GLs. That consistency added weight to the narrative.
As for the final episode, I was pleasantly surprised. It wrapped up the story well, although the editing—particularly the background music—felt slightly out of place at times. That could just be my personal preference, but it stood out to me.
Final Thoughts
Overall, “Us” is one of the best GL series I’ve seen. It respected its audience, avoided unnecessary tropes, and told a heartfelt, grounded story. My only regret is watching it as it aired, because the weekly wait was painful—and now that it’s over, I definitely miss looking forward to new episodes. GMMTV deserves credit for creating a GL that didn’t feel out of place or rushed, and I’m genuinely thankful for it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Bad story line and romance was mainly centred for male gaze
I am writing this review as someone who has proudly never read the book and never will. I know this series has a lot of fans, but I am definitely not one of them.The storyline itself is bizarre. A girl randomly spawns in Bangkok and immediately reaches out to her old school friend, whom she supposedly had a fallout with over a "hair lice" issue? That's probably one of the most unrealistic setups ever. Anyone with an ounce of self-respect would have better things to do. Sure, Aoey had a valid reason—getting kicked out of her house—but that whole situation was another level of weird drama. Honestly, no girl with a little bit of common sense would make half the decisions Aoey did.
It was nice of Genlong to let Aoey stay with her, but realistically, it felt forced and unnatural.
I know, I know—fans will say, "It's just a series, it's fiction, get over it." But my issue is how incredibly messy everything felt. The representation of SA and PTSD was the worst. These heavy topics deserve better representation, with a focus on the victim’s experience in a way that feels real, respectful and the viewer should be able to feel and relate to the character, even if they haven't experienced such a thing. Mate completely failed at this. Instead of a good portrayal, all we got was Aoey screaming, yelling, and throwing tantrums whenever someone touched her. I get it—she went through something no one should ever have to. But seriously? There were so many better ways to depict her trauma rather than reducing it to repeated outbursts.
The romance? No comments. It was good. But I felt nothing watching 90% of the romantic scenes. It felt like the romance was catered entirely to the male gaze. If that was the goal, fine, but they could’ve at least adjusted the plot a little instead of completely ruining the whole thing.
The cast was alright, but the characters were frustrating. What was Thot’s purpose in the story? Why was Genlong so unbearably cringe about everything? Even Aoey, for the matter of fact was indeed very cringe too. Speaking of which, the cringe factor in this series was on another level. Nearly every episode had at least one scene that made me want to skip forward. I genuinely said "WTF" out loud at least once per episode.
Aoey's marriage was hands down the most out-of-pocket scene ever. Like, the story would've been better even without it. The couple could’ve worked things out even if the groom didn’t exist. Instead of those unnecessary makeout scenes during fights, they should’ve focused more on Aoey and Genlong reconnecting through actual conversations after their separation.
Also, Aoey’s soon-to-be fiancé cheats and gets all the hate, but let’s be real—Aoey kinda does the same by making out with Genlong while engaged. And yet, she still makes Genlong her bridesmaid and introduces her as her dear friend? Girl, what? If you like her that much, just call off the wedding. The fact that she even entertained feelings for someone else while engaged says a lot about her. This isn’t love—she’s just deceiving herself.
Overall, this series was just a mess. The writing was weak, the execution of serious topics was terrible, and the romance was unconvincing. If you enjoyed it, good for you, but personally? Not my cup of tea.
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