This review may contain spoilers
Commendable Attempt By Friends
To say that this drama was better than many produced by major agencies such as GMMTV is an understatement. The closest BLs we got from them under this theme were Kidnap and The Heart Killers, and neither were as memorable or well presented as Jack & Joker, which is insane when you think about it.
Although I'm not sure how much of the actual contribution can be accredited to the actors whose initials are comprised within YWPB, I do still think that their first attempt at a drama under their own management was more than praiseworthy- be it through the visuals (something War actively contributed towards with the Jack & Joker heading), casting, cinematography, editing and acting, I was floored by the sheer amount of effort that went into presenting the best possible version of their first project.
The story was what most would term cliché, what with the whole debtor and thief trope- a trope that has been utilised in various fanfiction, novels and (potentially) webcomics- hence the 7. It is by no means original, however, it has been rendered in a somewhat authentic manner- and for that, I appreciate the entire crew behind the directing and producing of this drama.
Considering many Thai BLs do not pay enough attention towards the acting ability of their artists, I do think that the acting in this drama was better than the usual subpar that has consistently characterised recent dramas- although there were scenes involving certain characters such as Boss, Rosé, Hope and Save that I felt could've been better developed behind-the-scenes. War and Yin not only demonstrated this seamless acting capability that inexplicably trumped their acting in En Of Love, but also portrayed their intimacy in such a flawless, persuasive manner. Intimacy coordination is important, yes, but making sure that an actor's ability is honed in on is undeniably the main thing most viewers want when they're watching something- and it is a real let-down that production companies like GMMTV aren't pandering towards that vital skill.
The opening 'theme' was banging, for sure- I was surprised by how memorable it was considering most opening songs are either accompanied by vocalists rather than mere instrumentals. War and Yin's OSTs in between were nice, of course- although I personally didn't view them as any different than most others.
As appreciative as I was of the 1-hour long episodes, I think that very factor diminishes this drama's rewatch quality (for me)- I remember thinking that some episodes dragged on rather than getting straight to the point. Building suspense is important for audience engagement, of course, but not when it's predictable. One of the things I hated was Boss' villain speeches- like most villain speeches, it was an unnecessary thing to include and removed any potential realism from certain scenes.
Overall, I gave this a 7.5 (and not the suggested 6.5) because it was truly way better than I'd expected it to be- not to mention, better than most recent Thai BLs. Yet again, it's an example of how being a major production company doesn't assert your artists' talent- Studio Wabi Sabi, Billkin and PP and now YWPB have shown that effort matters more than desperately trying to meet this growing demand for dramas dedicated towards every CP.
Although I'm not sure how much of the actual contribution can be accredited to the actors whose initials are comprised within YWPB, I do still think that their first attempt at a drama under their own management was more than praiseworthy- be it through the visuals (something War actively contributed towards with the Jack & Joker heading), casting, cinematography, editing and acting, I was floored by the sheer amount of effort that went into presenting the best possible version of their first project.
The story was what most would term cliché, what with the whole debtor and thief trope- a trope that has been utilised in various fanfiction, novels and (potentially) webcomics- hence the 7. It is by no means original, however, it has been rendered in a somewhat authentic manner- and for that, I appreciate the entire crew behind the directing and producing of this drama.
Considering many Thai BLs do not pay enough attention towards the acting ability of their artists, I do think that the acting in this drama was better than the usual subpar that has consistently characterised recent dramas- although there were scenes involving certain characters such as Boss, Rosé, Hope and Save that I felt could've been better developed behind-the-scenes. War and Yin not only demonstrated this seamless acting capability that inexplicably trumped their acting in En Of Love, but also portrayed their intimacy in such a flawless, persuasive manner. Intimacy coordination is important, yes, but making sure that an actor's ability is honed in on is undeniably the main thing most viewers want when they're watching something- and it is a real let-down that production companies like GMMTV aren't pandering towards that vital skill.
The opening 'theme' was banging, for sure- I was surprised by how memorable it was considering most opening songs are either accompanied by vocalists rather than mere instrumentals. War and Yin's OSTs in between were nice, of course- although I personally didn't view them as any different than most others.
As appreciative as I was of the 1-hour long episodes, I think that very factor diminishes this drama's rewatch quality (for me)- I remember thinking that some episodes dragged on rather than getting straight to the point. Building suspense is important for audience engagement, of course, but not when it's predictable. One of the things I hated was Boss' villain speeches- like most villain speeches, it was an unnecessary thing to include and removed any potential realism from certain scenes.
Overall, I gave this a 7.5 (and not the suggested 6.5) because it was truly way better than I'd expected it to be- not to mention, better than most recent Thai BLs. Yet again, it's an example of how being a major production company doesn't assert your artists' talent- Studio Wabi Sabi, Billkin and PP and now YWPB have shown that effort matters more than desperately trying to meet this growing demand for dramas dedicated towards every CP.
Was this review helpful to you?
