Why is this show so well rated??
GMM strikes again with a show that is dragged out with absolutely nothing happening except couples awkwardly getting together and made up drama popping up without explanation. My sister told me this GMM issue might be due to them airing the show before it's finished and scrambling to wrap it up, but if that's the case, why not just wait to finish the show cleanly rather than fumbling the whole thing? This would explain why I can normally watch around 2 episodes of a show, before quickly losing interest.I started watching this for ForceBook and can only say that their chemistry is one of the few things that seems authentic in this, despite the fact that they are infinitely hotter as a couple in Only Friends. AouBoom were also great in this, actually believable as a couple, but barely had any screen time (I'll be watching the Only Friends part 2 to see them).
Otherwise, there is literally nothing happening in this show. PerthSanta were so cringe throughout their entire story line, and are one of the main reasons I dropped this show. I can assume Perth is a decent actor and Santa was pretty good in My Only 12%, so this must've been an issue with the hollow dialogue and lack of chemistry between the two actors. Even watching this at 1.5x speed, it's still not fast enough to move the story along. Please, someone help us get through all of this dialogue! They talk so much in this show without actually saying anything of substance that it doesn't even matter if you miss half of what they say. And if I have to watch another show with engineers, architects, whatever, it's gotta have something going for it other than yay they're in school and half the cast has a crush and the other half!
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While I enjoyed the thai original, I loved this one more
As a few others already mentioned, I felt like the fact that it's condensed was actually one of its strengths. This Japanese remake stays pretty loyal to the Thai version and is a bit cheesy and campy at times, but honestly, the original was kinda cheesy and melodramatic in some bits too (especially Rain's character most of the time). I wholly disagree with the people who say they cut out the important bits, as I personally didn't feel like it was missing anything story-wise. And those who say this was cringey must've forgotten the spanking scene in the Thai version, the "daddy" incident in the special episode, as well as the weird thermometer scene between Rain and Phayu.What I most enjoyed with this one was the fact that they remixed the original a bit, making some scenes to be a bit less problematic like the fact that Arashi doesn't come off as a somewhat creepy stalker-type in the way that Phayu did in the original and removing the threat of rape in the Rei kidnap scene (there was enough non-con happening with Kai's storyline already). Then they switched up the Phayu/Rain scene in the bathroom by putting Arashi/Rei in the car instead, changed up the timing of the sex scenes, and other scenes where I felt they were doing a great job in sticking to the essence of the original but trying to bring in the Japanese flair. Arashi/Rei were a really amusing and sexy couple to watch, and Shoma did an excellent job in his role (I sensed he'd be a great casting choice here after seeing him in At 25:00, in Akasaka). Fuma/Kai were also quite strong, with Kai pulling on my heartstrings with how broken and defeated he was. They made the sex scenes with the right amount of spice as and pacing as well.
Bonus Prapai and Phayu showing up in the last 2 episodes, I enjoyed the interactions between them and Rei+Kai, gotta love some language barrier laughs.
I suspect many of the reviewers were either unfamiliar with the snappiness and style of a Japanese BL and/or felt too attached to the original to give constructive criticism. Without getting all twisted up in trying to compare the Thai version and this one, this version stands alone nicely on its own.
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Well paced, sexy, fun, and easy to become immersed in this world
Recently, I've had to resort to watching thai BLs and GLs on a faster speed because the plot is slow/nothing really happens and the characters talk too much (looking at your shows, GMMTV). Not this one though! The first thing that drew me to this show was the trans representation they were going for, the confident flamboyant character that is Prince, and the hope that this would be a fun time travel show — and it delivered with flying colors. The pacing was perfect, the dialogue and characters were fun, the chemistry was steamy and fantastic between Prince and his suitors, the production value was on point, and the story wasn't confusing like time travel shows sometimes end up being. Kosol and Prince were so good together, with just the right of drama and sexual tension between them. While this show wasn't 18+ in terms of sex, they did an excellent job in dancing around it with suggestive situations and dialogue.One more thing – based on the discourse online often negatively targeting pretty and dainty BL actors, I'm aware many BL watchers are put off by campy vibes and feminine men, but I have a feeling, if they got over their stigma (which is clearly rooted in patriarchy, misogyny, and homophobia), they could fall in love with this show too.
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Where is the chemistry in GLs?
I had high hopes for this one, but felt that it was extremely over-hyped. Like many GLs out there, this one suffers from a lack of romantic and/or sizzling chemistry between the two leads, where the interactions end up erring on the side of childish. Print and Rey were like friendly roommates at best, and as a viewer, I was sensing a lot awkwardness and hesitation between the actresses. Another issue in Thai GLs and BLs is bloating the show with too many episodes and thus, dragging out the relatively thin plot and the build-up to when they get together. While the production felt high for this show, the bright settings and colorful wardrobes served as a distraction from the lack of plot and chemistry between the main leads. This one felt like it could've gotten the point across in 6 episodes. The saving grace for me was Wanmai/Saifon and their story, which was approached with more maturity, sensuality, and best of all – they felt like they actually had chemistry as a couple! That, and Wanmai has a masc/butch lesbian vibe to her, representation which is woefully lacking in GLs.Was this review helpful to you?
