I've created a FirstKhao cord, would you like to join us?
The cord is still brand new but it's growing super fast!
Its goals :
- To bring soms together under the same passion: FirstKhao! :orange_heart: - To have the most complete database of their contents possible - Carry out projects for FK
Ok so I wanted to ask does anybody know when gmmtv will release the part 2 of the series lineup cause I badly…
For now we only know FirstKhao will be in School rangers and Love out loud 2024. No show announced yet. GMM24 part.2 should be around march 2024, so we'll know at this time if FK will have a new show or not.
Don't read if you haven't finish it yet !!!!!!!!!!
----------------------------
I knew from the start that SandRay would be endgame. I'm glad First and Khaotung didn't lie when they spoiled us about it. My som heart is content.
The drama had a lot of flaws. The writing, editing and pacing weren't good enough. It should have been longer than 12 episodes, the last few episodes were too rushed while the first eps had too many longueurs. The Beoing era was great but didn't have enough time to develop properly. The same goes for Atom and Dan's stories. Just a few scenes and that's it, move on. It's disappointing. When you have a show with so many main and secondary characters, you make sure you can fit them all in coherently without feeling like they're nothing more than furniture. Cheum was the worst case, cast as a main character but treated as a secondary one. Disappointing. She had no development whatsoever, no story to tell. She only served to advance the plot and act as a footstep for the real main characters.
- SandRay were perfect from start to finish, not because of FirstKhao but because they had the best plots, the best character development, the best back stories. Being served by the best actors was just a bonus ( /j Don't get mad I'm joking).
But something tells me that the fact that they're both based on fictional characters (unlike Top, Mew, Boston and Nick) has something to do with it. The writers have had a lot more freedom to invent and develop them and it shows. The fact that Sand and Ray in particular have more plots (between them or separately) than the other main characters speaks volumes.
I loved how their relationship evolved. I love how Sand and Ray complement each other (a bit like First and Khao in real life). How they are not just important to each other but vital. They have gone through a lot of trials, from their past loves (Mew and Boeing) to Ray's struggles with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies. Their happy ending seems genuine and full of hope. If there is a season 2, I hope they won't be put through unnecessary drama, because I don't want to see them suffer more. They have already suffered enough; let them be happy, just like at the end of the book. America, child and running business together. That's great.
Now, I wish Ray's arc in rehab had been tackled better as it's not something that's quick and easy. Being in rehab is long and painful. I would have liked to see him work on himself, to see him fail and to see Sand support him on his journey. Instead we got Boeing....
I would have liked to see Sand reveal his identity to his father, since he seemed determined to do so.
Ray is and will remain the most complex and multi-faceted character I've ever seen in a drama. He was beautifully written, with all his flaws and demons. Knowing Ray's backstory in the book helps immensely in understanding him better, something the show clearly failed to do as his childhood was only touched on a little.
In the book, we learn that Ray is not only an unwanted child, who blames himself for his mother's death, but above all that he is a neglected child, beaten by his father, hated by his mother who accused him of ruining her life and career, who never received the slightest form of affection throughout his life.
Ray is a broken man who has lost hope. Mew was the only glimmer in his miserable life, a glimmer that Top came to take away.
When you know all this, you understand much better why Ray is so obsessed with Mew, why he hates himself so much, why he is so extreme and desperate, why he bullies Sand so much, who is the only one who can give him what he needs.
The drama fails to tell all of this, which is a shame. Viewers shouldn't have to look to other media (books or twitter) to understand all this. The drama should stand on its own.
In the book we also learn that Sand and Boeing were together for THREE YEARS. He wasn't just his first love, but a long-term relationship.
This explains why Sand has such a hard time pushing him away as the audience would like. Combined with Sand's overly good nature with difficulties drawing distinct boundaries, you have a Sand who doesn't know how to say no to the man he loved for 3 long years in his early adulthood. A lot of misunderstandings would have been avoided if the drama had better pacing and more episodes.
Sand is truly an angel. He has a heart of gold, works hard, takes care of his loved ones, has a dream, and does everything to make it come true. I know many people didn't understand why he was so infatuated with Ray, why he didn't stand up to him more, especially when he was mistreated by him.
But I believe people simply didn't understand Sand's character. Despite his bad boy appearance, his rock and grunge side, he's a teddy bear. A teddy bear who has a tough, "dirty and dusty" life, as he puts it, who has to constantly struggle, day after day. A teddy bear with a lot of love to give but who was broken by his first love.
At first, Sand didn't want to fall in love. Not with Ray in particular, but in love in general. Because of his unjust breakup with Boeing. Yet he couldn't help but become attached to Ray, to this little ball of depression, despair, and self-destructiveness. Sand has a savior complex. We see it with his mother, whom he has paid off all her debts, supports, and watches over. Okay, that's his mother, but I think it was an initial clue to his psychology. Sand could have ignored Ray from the start, but he chose not to. It was his choice. Just as he could have chosen to hate Ray for mistreating him, but he chose not to. It was still his choice. Sand is not stupid; it's just his character.
Just rewatch episode 5 to understand that Ray provides Sand with what he needs, an escape from his dull and lonely life. Just as Sand provides Ray with what he needs, someone who cares about him and accepts him with all his flaws.
- TopMew, I really didn't like them. Some scenes were good, especially the one where Mew confronts Top about his cheating. But overall, the writing was dreadful. Too many scenes were too long, too flat, and uninteresting (and oh my God, erase the blind date scene from my memory, it was so, so cringe, help). It's a shame because Force and Book are adorable, but seeing them for the first time in this series didn't make me want to see more of them.
Mew really disappointed me. I was hoping he would be... more than that? I understand that he's supposed to be the "naive" one in the group, the "nice" guy, and that once he's broken, he reveals his dark side, but it was so poorly executed. So poorly directed.
Top was... sigh... I've seen flat and flavorless characters before, but this is something else. He's handsome and rich. That's pretty much it; you can sum him up like that. Psychologically, aside from his fear of fire and his insomnia, well... he's a man... handsome... and rich... It's terrible because the poor guy actually has no personality and almost no character development. Even though he wants to become a better person, he does it for Mew and only for him. But until the last episode, he shows no remorse whatsoever regarding Ray, Sand, or Boston. The guy almost shattered the friendship of an entire group, but all is well, he got to keep Mew :) Bleh...
I'm not going to lie, but I had hoped that Mew would be stronger than this, that he would leave Top because, as Ray so aptly puts it, he hasn't changed, and he won't change. He pretends to change for Mew, okay, but what will happen the day their relationship is less strong, the day Top gets tired of Mew?
The reason for his infidelity was so ridiculous, so weak, that I have no trouble imagining him doing it again the day their relationship encounters turbulence. For me, their "happy ending" is not really one. And seeing their reactions when Mix (let's call him Mix since we still don't know his name) appears at the very end makes me think I'm right.
Especially since Mew doesn't seem to have COMPLETELY forgiven Top. The old Mew doesn't really exist anymore; he has changed. Like when Top tells him to put on glasses, it's as if he's telling him to become the blind and naive Mew of the past. Their relationship is shaky, and they don't entirely trust each other. If there's a season 2, I don't hold much hope for their relationship.
- BostonNick. I liked their story, although it wasn't very interesting. That being said, I loved their character development and all the psychology behind it. The ending is sad but realistic. Boston can't change, and the fact that he tried is cute but it sounded so false. So false that not even Nick could bear it any longer (and he was willing to put up with a lot for him).
I loved the character of Boston. He was a jerk, but he was a self-aware jerk (unlike Top there...). Boston is probably the most honest character in the series. He sees through everyone's game and has no shame in sharing his opinion, whether it's liked or not. I found his excuses forced at the end, and it probably was forced. He doesn't want to leave Thailand on bad terms with his friends, and that's understandable.
It's understandable that Mew holds a grudge against him. Boston never forced Top to sleep with him. He showed Top a two-year-old video and insinuated that Mew was no longer a virgin, and that was enough for Top to give in. Is Boston guilty? But Mew is willing to take Top back as his boyfriend but not Boston as a friend?
I would have liked to see a scene with Boston in New York. To see what happens after "Only Friends" once again. It was missing in this last episode.
As for Nick? At the beginning, I didn't like him much. But towards the end, I got attached to him. Still, I'm disappointed that we didn't get more background on him. Maybe his life is too ordinary to be shown on screen? But I think he lacked depth because of that. Why is he so obsessed with Boston, who was very clear with him from the start? Why does Nick have such low self-esteem? Why is he chasing such a toxic relationship? Why is he wasting his time with Boston when he knows he's leaving for another country?
Why?
If there's a season 2, I want to see Nick change, I want to learn more about him, and I hope he gets into a healthier relationship.
That's it, the drama was good, better than what we usually get. However, many things didn't work, and I have the unpleasant feeling that they weren't given the time to fine-tune this project. The writing and pacing have significant flaws. The characters are uneven in terms of writing, treatment, and development. The series had too much to tell and too few episodes to do so. The editing was catastrophic with scenes cut haphazardly, ending abruptly, scenes removed affecting coherence and understanding, consistency errors, especially in episode 5, which still hasn't been corrected on YouTube...
!!!You don't prepare the editing of an episode during the week of its release; it's not professional !!!
But this drama also has many strengths. Ray will always be my favorite character, across all works in the world, ever. The direction was great with lots of creative ideas, a subtle and clear artistic vision. There was a lot of attention to costumes, symbolism, and music. The sets were well-crafted and consistent. And of course, the acting was excellent.
So, compared to what we usually get, the series is incredible. Now, as a standalone work, it falls short. I believe the fault lies with GMM, not the writers/directors. Although I don't know for sure, I suspect it. "Only Friends" was an experimental project, a test project. And the success was there, so that's good, and I don't regret spending three months of my life being obsessed with this series.
Next episode will be last ep ? Why ep 11 did not feel like an episode before finale ? And even preview of ep12…
Yep it's definitly rushed as I feared it would be since the show lost so much time with TopMew dating era. All this storm should have come faster and sooner.
I've created a FirstKhao cord, would you like to join us?
The cord is still brand new but it's growing super fast!
Its goals :
- To bring soms together under the same passion: FirstKhao! :orange_heart:
- To have the most complete database of their contents possible
- Carry out projects for FK
You are welcome~
https://discord.gg/dsaaz8Sb8S
We have to wait for GMM24 part.2 in order to know if they are going to have more projects.
Don't read if you haven't finish it yet !!!!!!!!!!
----------------------------
I knew from the start that SandRay would be endgame. I'm glad First and Khaotung didn't lie when they spoiled us about it. My som heart is content.
The drama had a lot of flaws. The writing, editing and pacing weren't good enough. It should have been longer than 12 episodes, the last few episodes were too rushed while the first eps had too many longueurs.
The Beoing era was great but didn't have enough time to develop properly. The same goes for Atom and Dan's stories. Just a few scenes and that's it, move on. It's disappointing. When you have a show with so many main and secondary characters, you make sure you can fit them all in coherently without feeling like they're nothing more than furniture.
Cheum was the worst case, cast as a main character but treated as a secondary one. Disappointing. She had no development whatsoever, no story to tell. She only served to advance the plot and act as a footstep for the real main characters.
- SandRay were perfect from start to finish, not because of FirstKhao but because they had the best plots, the best character development, the best back stories.
Being served by the best actors was just a bonus ( /j Don't get mad I'm joking).
But something tells me that the fact that they're both based on fictional characters (unlike Top, Mew, Boston and Nick) has something to do with it. The writers have had a lot more freedom to invent and develop them and it shows.
The fact that Sand and Ray in particular have more plots (between them or separately) than the other main characters speaks volumes.
I loved how their relationship evolved. I love how Sand and Ray complement each other (a bit like First and Khao in real life). How they are not just important to each other but vital. They have gone through a lot of trials, from their past loves (Mew and Boeing) to Ray's struggles with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies. Their happy ending seems genuine and full of hope. If there is a season 2, I hope they won't be put through unnecessary drama, because I don't want to see them suffer more. They have already suffered enough; let them be happy, just like at the end of the book. America, child and running business together. That's great.
Now, I wish Ray's arc in rehab had been tackled better as it's not something that's quick and easy. Being in rehab is long and painful. I would have liked to see him work on himself, to see him fail and to see Sand support him on his journey. Instead we got Boeing....
I would have liked to see Sand reveal his identity to his father, since he seemed determined to do so.
Ray is and will remain the most complex and multi-faceted character I've ever seen in a drama. He was beautifully written, with all his flaws and demons. Knowing Ray's backstory in the book helps immensely in understanding him better, something the show clearly failed to do as his childhood was only touched on a little.
In the book, we learn that Ray is not only an unwanted child, who blames himself for his mother's death, but above all that he is a neglected child, beaten by his father, hated by his mother who accused him of ruining her life and career, who never received the slightest form of affection throughout his life.
Ray is a broken man who has lost hope. Mew was the only glimmer in his miserable life, a glimmer that Top came to take away.
When you know all this, you understand much better why Ray is so obsessed with Mew, why he hates himself so much, why he is so extreme and desperate, why he bullies Sand so much, who is the only one who can give him what he needs.
The drama fails to tell all of this, which is a shame. Viewers shouldn't have to look to other media (books or twitter) to understand all this. The drama should stand on its own.
In the book we also learn that Sand and Boeing were together for THREE YEARS. He wasn't just his first love, but a long-term relationship.
This explains why Sand has such a hard time pushing him away as the audience would like. Combined with Sand's overly good nature with difficulties drawing distinct boundaries, you have a Sand who doesn't know how to say no to the man he loved for 3 long years in his early adulthood.
A lot of misunderstandings would have been avoided if the drama had better pacing and more episodes.
Sand is truly an angel. He has a heart of gold, works hard, takes care of his loved ones, has a dream, and does everything to make it come true. I know many people didn't understand why he was so infatuated with Ray, why he didn't stand up to him more, especially when he was mistreated by him.
But I believe people simply didn't understand Sand's character. Despite his bad boy appearance, his rock and grunge side, he's a teddy bear. A teddy bear who has a tough, "dirty and dusty" life, as he puts it, who has to constantly struggle, day after day. A teddy bear with a lot of love to give but who was broken by his first love.
At first, Sand didn't want to fall in love. Not with Ray in particular, but in love in general. Because of his unjust breakup with Boeing. Yet he couldn't help but become attached to Ray, to this little ball of depression, despair, and self-destructiveness. Sand has a savior complex. We see it with his mother, whom he has paid off all her debts, supports, and watches over. Okay, that's his mother, but I think it was an initial clue to his psychology. Sand could have ignored Ray from the start, but he chose not to. It was his choice. Just as he could have chosen to hate Ray for mistreating him, but he chose not to. It was still his choice. Sand is not stupid; it's just his character.
Just rewatch episode 5 to understand that Ray provides Sand with what he needs, an escape from his dull and lonely life. Just as Sand provides Ray with what he needs, someone who cares about him and accepts him with all his flaws.
- TopMew, I really didn't like them. Some scenes were good, especially the one where Mew confronts Top about his cheating. But overall, the writing was dreadful. Too many scenes were too long, too flat, and uninteresting (and oh my God, erase the blind date scene from my memory, it was so, so cringe, help). It's a shame because Force and Book are adorable, but seeing them for the first time in this series didn't make me want to see more of them.
Mew really disappointed me. I was hoping he would be... more than that? I understand that he's supposed to be the "naive" one in the group, the "nice" guy, and that once he's broken, he reveals his dark side, but it was so poorly executed. So poorly directed.
Top was... sigh... I've seen flat and flavorless characters before, but this is something else. He's handsome and rich. That's pretty much it; you can sum him up like that. Psychologically, aside from his fear of fire and his insomnia, well... he's a man... handsome... and rich... It's terrible because the poor guy actually has no personality and almost no character development. Even though he wants to become a better person, he does it for Mew and only for him. But until the last episode, he shows no remorse whatsoever regarding Ray, Sand, or Boston. The guy almost shattered the friendship of an entire group, but all is well, he got to keep Mew :) Bleh...
I'm not going to lie, but I had hoped that Mew would be stronger than this, that he would leave Top because, as Ray so aptly puts it, he hasn't changed, and he won't change. He pretends to change for Mew, okay, but what will happen the day their relationship is less strong, the day Top gets tired of Mew?
The reason for his infidelity was so ridiculous, so weak, that I have no trouble imagining him doing it again the day their relationship encounters turbulence. For me, their "happy ending" is not really one. And seeing their reactions when Mix (let's call him Mix since we still don't know his name) appears at the very end makes me think I'm right.
Especially since Mew doesn't seem to have COMPLETELY forgiven Top. The old Mew doesn't really exist anymore; he has changed. Like when Top tells him to put on glasses, it's as if he's telling him to become the blind and naive Mew of the past. Their relationship is shaky, and they don't entirely trust each other. If there's a season 2, I don't hold much hope for their relationship.
- BostonNick. I liked their story, although it wasn't very interesting. That being said, I loved their character development and all the psychology behind it. The ending is sad but realistic. Boston can't change, and the fact that he tried is cute but it sounded so false. So false that not even Nick could bear it any longer (and he was willing to put up with a lot for him).
I loved the character of Boston. He was a jerk, but he was a self-aware jerk (unlike Top there...). Boston is probably the most honest character in the series. He sees through everyone's game and has no shame in sharing his opinion, whether it's liked or not. I found his excuses forced at the end, and it probably was forced. He doesn't want to leave Thailand on bad terms with his friends, and that's understandable.
It's understandable that Mew holds a grudge against him. Boston never forced Top to sleep with him. He showed Top a two-year-old video and insinuated that Mew was no longer a virgin, and that was enough for Top to give in. Is Boston guilty? But Mew is willing to take Top back as his boyfriend but not Boston as a friend?
I would have liked to see a scene with Boston in New York. To see what happens after "Only Friends" once again. It was missing in this last episode.
As for Nick? At the beginning, I didn't like him much. But towards the end, I got attached to him. Still, I'm disappointed that we didn't get more background on him. Maybe his life is too ordinary to be shown on screen? But I think he lacked depth because of that. Why is he so obsessed with Boston, who was very clear with him from the start? Why does Nick have such low self-esteem? Why is he chasing such a toxic relationship? Why is he wasting his time with Boston when he knows he's leaving for another country?
Why?
If there's a season 2, I want to see Nick change, I want to learn more about him, and I hope he gets into a healthier relationship.
That's it, the drama was good, better than what we usually get. However, many things didn't work, and I have the unpleasant feeling that they weren't given the time to fine-tune this project. The writing and pacing have significant flaws. The characters are uneven in terms of writing, treatment, and development. The series had too much to tell and too few episodes to do so. The editing was catastrophic with scenes cut haphazardly, ending abruptly, scenes removed affecting coherence and understanding, consistency errors, especially in episode 5, which still hasn't been corrected on YouTube...
!!!You don't prepare the editing of an episode during the week of its release; it's not professional !!!
But this drama also has many strengths. Ray will always be my favorite character, across all works in the world, ever. The direction was great with lots of creative ideas, a subtle and clear artistic vision. There was a lot of attention to costumes, symbolism, and music. The sets were well-crafted and consistent. And of course, the acting was excellent.
So, compared to what we usually get, the series is incredible. Now, as a standalone work, it falls short. I believe the fault lies with GMM, not the writers/directors. Although I don't know for sure, I suspect it. "Only Friends" was an experimental project, a test project. And the success was there, so that's good, and I don't regret spending three months of my life being obsessed with this series.