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THIS is the GL I want!!

I don't think I can put into words how incredible this show is. A tense, drama-filled plot mixed with a fantastic romance, all tied together with some of the best directing and cinematography I've ever seen in a Thai show. Just. WOW. This show had me locked in from start to finish. I love a show where the romance isn't the only plot, and the drama and conflicts in this show outside of the romance really drew me in.

Bell is celebrating finishing college with her boyfriend and his friends at some club her boyfriend wanted to go to. Though it's not quite her scene, she tries to have fun. When the cops show up, Bell tries to find the car keys in her purse and instead finds drugs that aren't hers - but when the cops catch her throwing them in the trash, there's no way she can talk herself out of it (not to mention, her boyfriend is clearly not going to help her). Once in prison, she quickly learns the social hierarchy there: her and her cellmate Kae keep away from top dog Dao and her sisters, and Bell's told very clearly to avoid the murderer Claire, known as "rabid dog," at all costs. But when Bell gets in trouble with Dao's crew, it's Claire that ends up helping her. Once a loner, Claire starts to taking a liking to Bell, and Bell seems to feel the same way. However, between Kae's jealousy, Dao and her sister's business, and power-hungry guards, having one person by your side is never quite enough to keep you safe.

This show delivered on EVERY front. The tension, the drama, the romance, EVERYTHING was great. Prison plots can go either way for me, but this one was so good every episode that I cannot recommend it enough. I feel like there are a lot of mid GLs, but this is NOT one of them. I loved the characters so much, and thought their story was so well done. If you're looking for a GL that is totally different and still hits every mark THIS IS IT!

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Suspenseful and Thrilling

I was really excited to watch Spare Me Your Mercy when it started airing because I'm a sucker for crime dramas. The premise of this one was especially unique - catching a killer that might not even be the bad guy? The cast was absolutely incredible, and the show had me on the edge of my seat every episode. I do wish this was a 10-12 ep series instead, just because there were a few things I wish they could have explored deeper, but it is absolutely worth the watch.

Tew (JJ) is a detective who decided to transfer to a rural town to be near his mom, who is dying of ovarian cancer with only a few months to live. However, right as he goes to see her after transferring, he learns she has passed away months before the doctor said she would. Hurt and confused, Tew does to talk to Dr. Kan (Tor), the palliative care expert in the town. Kan explains that this isn't uncommon with terminally ill patients and Tew doesn't think too much more about it - until terminally ill patients start dying prematurely all over this rural town. With few suspects and a growing suspicion of Kan, Tew tries to keep him close; Kan seems to be trying to keep Tew close as well, and though he says it's because he's developing a crush on him, Tew remains unconvinced. Unclear motives from both parties create tension in this slowburn relationship, and as more and more deaths occur prematurely, the need to find out the truth may outweigh any feelings the two have for each other.

This show was truly incredible. I would recommend watching for the thriller/suspense/mystery elements more than the relationship, because truly the story is about the deaths and not the romance. However, JJ and Tor do an amazing job portraying these characters. A cold and tough detective determined to find out the truth paired with the bright and kind doctor was a great match. The acting, effects, and writing were all fantastic. Plot twists weren't necessarily predictable, but they were built into the story well enough to not feel like I was being blindsided by nonsensical twists in the story. The framing of certain scenes to intentionally throw the viewer off was super fun too. Even though I thought they could have played up the tension in the relationship and that a few more episodes would have helped flesh some things out more, I thought the story was fantastic and loved the way it wrapped up. One of my favorites of 2024 for sure.

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Yes! A good Thai GL!

I have been waiting for GMM to release a GL and 23.5 did not disappoint! Whether or not you like the school-type romance, it is a genre that GMM has managed to perfect. I loved MilkLove in Bad Buddy, so when they announced they'd be starring in a GL, I knew I'd be watching it.

Ongsa recently transferred from the countryside to a school in Bangkok, where she happens to run into Sun, a girl she's been following on social media for awhile. While Sun and Ongsa become friends in real life, they also start chatting on social media - except Sun doesn't know she's texting Ongsa, and thinks it's a boy named Earth. Scared to reveal her true identity, Ongsa plays the part of Earth as long as she can, but knows Sun will eventually find out. She can't help but wonder: what would Sun do if she knew she was texting a girl? Even if Sun likes Ongsa, what would other people say behind their back about them?

This show is very cute - again, it's your typical high school romance but between two girls in the same class. The main conflicts bring up points that a queer high schooler would likely relate to - issues of internalized homophobia, the fear of other people's opinions, and the possibility of rejection. It's a great show that isn't too intense and is just a light and fun watch. I think that if you enjoyed GMM's BLs like My School President or Bad Buddy, you'd really enjoy this one. There are conflicts I wish they would have fleshed out a bit more, but overall I had a great time watching this weekly.

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STUNNING

I went into this with an open mind, as I've never watched Thai historical dramas before but tend to enjoy them from other countries, so figured I should give it a shot. This is one of if not the most beautifully shot show I have ever seen. It is simply stunning to watch. The characters and storyline are written perfectly, and the backdrop of 1920s Chiang Mai is beautiful.

After a horrible ending to his long-term relationship, Jom (Nonkul) goes out drinking and ends up crashing his car into a lake. Luckily, he manages to get out and survive - but wakes up 100 years in the past. He washed up on the land of a wealthy lord, and is taken in to be a servant for the son of the lord, Yai (Bright). Both Jom and Yai seem to recognize each other from their dreams, and the two quickly become closer. Naturally, this creates rumors and problems for Yai, as there are certain expectations of him. Jom, who is still trying to return to his time, seems to slowly become content with staying where he's at, as long as it means he can stay with Yai. However, between the societal pressure they face as a couple and the complications with Jom's time traveling, they both fear that all these good things must eventually come to an end.

This show blew me away. I can't believe I loved it as much as I did, and would urge anyone that likes historical dramas to give it a try. It was perfectly executed. My biggest qualms with many Thai dramas tend to be drawn out and unnecessary conflicts, but those were never present here. Truly a wonderful drama that I couldn't recommend more.

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Underwhelming

As a big fan of crime dramas, I was super looking forward to this. I love Taecyeon in Vincenzo and was excited to see him in something else. This show has great casting and acting; however, I was disappointed with the plot of this one.

The show itself is a fairly mediocre crime drama. It felt like they were throwing darts to figure out the twists, leaving plot holes that they had to try to quickly clean up towards the end of the show. The show starts by splitting the storyline between children locked in some kind of hellish prison, and our main characters in present day. Figuring out how these storylines connect is super interesting....until it's not. It seems as though the writers tried so hard to throw the audience off and to make sure they wouldn't expect the twists that they weren't even worked into the story well. However, towards the end of the show I did start to enjoy it a bit more. Considering my love of crime dramas, to rate this one so low hurt a bit, but I think there are a lot better, more cohesive crime dramas out there.

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I don't get the hate

I genuinely don't understand why people are saying this drama is confusing. They leave things in the dark on purpose to build suspense, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward. That doesn't mean that it's a great show, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There were some really....odd choices made here. The first half of the show was super awesome to watch and the cinematography is surprisingly good, with really interesting lighting/color choices throughout. The plot falls off a little bit with some unrealistic twists (but honestly, how many BLs are realistic?). It honestly reminded me a bit of manner of death, with hidden identities and secrets, while the leads also attempt to take down some corrupt individuals. An enjoyable watch with some lackluster fight scenes and oddly timed music, but overall a good time. Plus, with only 10 episodes, this one was a shorter watch that kept my attention the whole time.

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Disappointing

I think the issue here was the writing of the characters. I love watching crime dramas, and I thought I would be really into this based on the synopsis, but it unfortunately missed the mark. I've seen Jang Kiyong in other shows and really enjoyed his performance, but his character in this one totally fell flat. You're waiting for something to happen between him and the female lead, waiting for his cold exterior to crack, and you never really get that. His character isn't very likeable, and even though you're rooting for him, you're not really sure why.

I think they also tried to do a bit too much weird worldbuilding and almost sci-fi kinda stuff. It felt like it should have been introduced earlier or simplified in order for it to make sense. I feel like there was a lot of potential wasted on this one.

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The plot was bad, but the chemistry was good

The only redeeming quality of this show was the fact that Zee and Nunew have great chemistry. Besides that, there's nothing special about this show and I was pretty bored for most of it.

The entire time you're waiting for single conflict to be resolved: the fact that Lian doesn't like Kuea's fake personality, and the fact that Kuea refuses to be his true self. Literally if they were just honest with each other, this show could be two episodes long. Instead, the conflict is drawn out way too long. The whole arranged marriage plot felt pretty odd, but I could get behind it if it made sense or helped the show move along. Instead, it's just this odd point that creates unnecessary drama between the leads.

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A GOOD VAMPIRE BL

After the last few popular vampire BLs, I had given up hope (don't get me STARTED on My Golden Blood) but Nour managed to show what a good supernatural vampire BL can do!! Honestly, I didn't even realize it was a vampire (or vampire adjacent, maybe) show going into it, and the way it is woven into the plot is SO well done! You as a viewer don't know everything for a LONG time, not in a missing plot points way but in a putting together the pieces yourself way. It makes for an excellent story! While I do think we could have gotten a little bit more on some of the characters and the pacing particularly with the main couple romance felt a little off, this show was overall fantastic. If you are also sick of the horrible vampire BLs, this one might be the remedy.

Ken is immortal, and hates it. He has attempted to die over and over again, to no avail. Currently, he works as police officer investigating a case that the locals seem to believe was done by a Nour, a mythical humanoid blood thirsty creature. However, Ken knows personally that these creatures are very real. In Ken's attempt to once again find a way to die, he seems to have found a lead - only for new cop James to show up and try to solve the case himself. The two start at odds with each other, but quickly find themselves drawn to each other instead.

I LOVED the Nour plotline, and even really enjoyed the second couple's story. I thought it was super well done. My only complaint is that it felt like Ken and James went from rivals to lovers way too fast. Ken is a very cold, standoffish man who no one has ever been able to get close to, but this breaks down so much faster than I would have expected as he gets close to James. I also thought we would get a little bit more bloodlust, which I would have loved, but it was still a really great romance. I also REALLY enjoyed the way they handled immortality, and the curse of being a Nour. It didn't feel like a stereotypical vampire plot at all, and I really enjoyed that! If you like crime dramas, vampire dramas, or both, this is definitely worth watching!

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Short and Sweet

We Best Love was a very cute, very short drama that you could definitely watch like a long movie. Watching years after it came out definitely didn't help, since I feel like this was definitely more impactful when it first came out. Still, this was super enjoyable, pretty light, and a quick watch.

Zhou Shu Yi had spent his entire childhood earning 2nd place behind Gao Shi De. Finally, in college, he's able to escape this rivalry - until Shi De transfers to his school. Shu Yi is determined to make Shi De's life miserable until graduation, but Shi De has other plans that involve pursuing Shu Yi.

As with any drama of this length, there's only so much character development you can do. Still, the characters felt pretty real and I could understand their motivations and conflicts. The relationship is really sweet, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the pacing was. If you're looking for a cute romance drama that won't take long to watch, this one's definitely a good choice.

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Fun thriller that needed a little more

I'd been waiting for Mousetrap to drop because I LOVE crime thrillers, and this one sounded especially unique! The idea of a stolen identity plot, where our main character has no way to prove his own identity, sounded SO cool to me, and I really loved the show at the beginning. As it continued, I felt that it either needed more time to flesh out everything they wanted, or that they needed to cut some things out and simplify it for the time they had for this show. Still, it was a relatively short and fun watch that kept me wanting to know what would happen next!

Je Munjae hasn't stepped foot outside his apartment for three years due to a panic disorder. His friend and accountant Suhyeon handles everything that needs to happen outside, including all of Munjae's finances and income from his novels. Munjae's life slowly begins to unravel when because of this "friend," he's locked out of his bank account, his apartment gets sold, and he's forced to go outside for the first time in three years. He soon discovers that there is a man identical to him, claiming to be the real Je Munjae, and the cops are trying to figure out which one of them is responsible for the murder of a woman, and who is the identity thief.

While I thought the plot of this one was super intriguing, and could easily look past some plotholes around the stolen identity/perfect plastic surgery to look identical/etc., I did find that some of the show was a bit frustrating. Especially towards the end, they are trying to convince you that maybe YOU as the viewer don't even know who is who, which I think they should have woven in earlier to make a more engaging story, instead of making the viewer feel like they were being lied to. Still, it was a good watch with phenomenal acting from the main actor. I also really enjoyed some of the action scenes and thought they were really well done. While it's not my favorite crime drama, it definitely had a bigger psychological thriller element to it that was very enjoyable!

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A glimpse into the characters' lives

A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills' Dream was an absolutely beautiful drama, filled with deep emotion and fully fleshed out characters. This drama is a character-driven narrative that allows the viewer to get snippets of these characters lives without feeling the need to tell a viewer every detail. It is INCREDIBLY well shot with amazing music and acting. While I do think there were times when the show would have greatly benefitted from staying on a given problem, overall this show was excellent.

When A-list celebrity Feng Qinglang needs a quiet place away from the drama of celebrity life, he finds himself in a small, remote village in the mountains. He stays with tea farmer Xu Changyang and begins to learn the ways of life in this village. The longer he remains in the care of Changyang, the more he develops feelings for him, and it seems those feels are mutual. The viewers watch the two lovers deal with the conflicts of relationships while famous, family tragedies, and the costs of pursuing personal dreams.

I thought that the characters were super interesting and very fun to watch. Because this is much more character-driven, I did find there to be some lulls in the show where I was somewhat disinterested with where it was going, but it quickly pick back up and have me interested again. For awhile, I wasn't sure why we were also following two other actors, until we go further along in the story and I started to understand how they paralleled our main characters. I thought that there were many moments where conflicts should have been a much bigger deal than they seemed to be. However, in some ways this made sense for the way the drama was being told: life is full of ups and downs, and time continues forward. This is a beautiful story about love, perseverance and growth, told with beautiful cinematography and directing. Don't go into this expecting to be on the edge of your seat; just sit back, and enjoy the stories of these characters' lives.

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Had Promise, But Needed More

I remember when only friends came out, so many people were talking about wanting the lesbian version of the show. Then, to have one of the directors of only friends direct girl rules, I was super excited! I feel like the women of GMM do not get the same level of hype as the men, so believe me when I say I was PUMPED to see some messy lesbian drama. Unfortunately, some of it fell flat and I found some of the characters flat out unlikeable.

Prim (Namtan) runs Lady Bird, a film company, alongside her friend Min (View). When stylist Gorya (Love), who happens to be an old friend of Prim, tries to make a move on her, Prim's ex-girlfriend Bambi (Film) comes back into the picture. While Gorya and Bambi are fighting for Prim's attention, model Shasha (Milk) can't figure out why Gorya doesn't like her - and is determined to change that. And as Min finally breaks things off with her toxic boyfriend, her junior Praew (Mim) is ready to help her get over him.

While I enjoyed a show about adult women (not in school for once) and their messy relationships, I found Bambi to be wholly unlikeable. Everything about her character left me annoyed and frustrated. For a lot of the show, I found myself wanting Prim and Gorya to be together. This is nothing against the actors or their pairings, I just could NOT like the relationship between Prim and Bambi. Way too much back and forth on the same conflicts, and not enough character development for me to care. On the other hand, I found myself LOVING ViewMim in this show. I thought their characters were so fun and realistic, and their conflicts had the weight that I wish the rest of them did. I also really enjoyed Milk and Love together in this show, but it took a little longer for me to enjoy them. Overall, the show was a good time and worth watching, and I loved seeing so many women on screen! I just wish they had done a better job on the character building and creating unique conflicts that weren't repetitive.

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Missing Something Deeper

After season 1, I had no idea they were planning on making a sequel to Bloodhounds, but I remembered really liking the first season so I decided to give s2 a chance. While I think the actors did a great job continuing these characters, it felt like this season was really leaning on the intense action scenes to carry them through. Yes, I know this is a show about fighting - but it felt like the ratio of fight scenes to emotional/character developing moments was too high. Still, this was a very fun follow-up to s1, and I especially enjoyed the main villain of this season!

I do think that this season would have been a bit better if I had more recently watched s1, but that wasn't a huge issue for me - mostly just a few things that could've been fresher in my brain to help bring the story together. Truly, the highlight of this season was the performances by the three main leads. Woo Dohwan as Geonwoo was fantastic in s1 and just as good in s2: I love watching this crazy good fighter be a total softie outside the ring. And with Lee Sangyi as Woojin again? The duo was truly incredible, and I feel like the actors worked so well together this season. Then, watching Rain as this scary main villain was a great way to up the stakes. Still though, I think most of the plot was fairly predictable in order to get to as many bloody fight scenes as possible, which made me feel like we spent less time with the characters. If you were a big fan of s1 and want more, it's a pretty good sequel! Not sure if I'll be tuning in for future seasons if they make them though, since it feels like it's moving away from the character development that made me love s1.

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Addicting!

I will always love a crime kdrama, and this is no exception. I was especially looking forward to this one since I loved Ji Sung's performance in the Devil Judge, and he did not disappoint! Connection told such a compelling story of interwoven unsolved cases, and I was HOOKED! If you like crime dramas at all, you have to give this one a shot.

Jang Jaegyeong works in the (very successful) narcotics unit. Him, along with reporter Oh Yoonjin, begin investigating a new drug that has been spreading called lemon mulberry, which gives the user great focus and concentration at the cost of live-threatening withdrawals and quick-building tolerance. Basically, it's the perfect recipe for maximum addiction. At the same time, an old friend of Jaegyong's named Junseo tries to reconcile with him over events from high school that ruined their friendship. After another pleading attempt, Junseo continues to get nowhere with Jaegyeong. One night, Jaegyeong is kidnapped and drugged with lemon mulberry with no memory of what happened; around the same time, Junseo's body is found at a construction site and is tentatively considered suicide. Jaegyeong begins simultaneously investigating the potential murder of Junseo and the rise and spread of lemon mulberry, and starts connecting the cases together.

This show was genuinely so much fun to watch, especially if you pay close attention. While there are a lot of characters you need to know, all of them play such interesting roles in these murder and drug cases. Plus, as a viewer, you can try to start piecing together everything yourself alongside the detectives, which I always love. I find I have a hard time getting into shows when the viewer knows a lot more than the characters, but this was the perfect balance of trying to lead the viewer to make conclusions with small pieces of evidence while also making sure the detectives are competent and are putting things together. I also felt like the twists in the plot were built in perfectly - no twists that didn't make any sense just for shock value, but the way things came together was still unexpected. Truly, this was a really well thought out crime drama that keeps you wanting more episodes!

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